kscans

Chapter 18 - Straying 5 (41–50: Occurrence of a Separate Incident, Interviews in Shari Centered Around Engaru Station)

"Back to the topic. Regarding Shinoda's car, did he really not come in his own vehicle?"

Kosaka voiced something that had been bothering him from the start.

"You're persistent... I recall the car he usually drove to the office was a red Audi or some other foreign make, but at that time, it was the company's black... probably a Crown? I think. Is there some problem with that?"

Tomioka asked back, sounding reluctant yet intrigued.

"I can't give detailed explanations for investigative reasons, but I'm confirming it because it will be a very important testimony."

Kosaka replied flatly.

"I see. Well, it's a waste of breath to ask. If you don't believe me, like I said before, you can just ask the guys who were with me then. I have no reason to lie."

Tomioka's tone was confident. It didn't seem like the audacity of someone lying, but rather the attitude of someone saying, 'Go ahead and check if you want.'

"By the way, you mentioned he came in a car for executives. Does that mean there was another person driving?"

Nishida interjected with a question.

"No, basically—at least back when I was there—drivers were only for when the President rode; a male secretary would act as a driver and handle the wheel. Ordinary executives drove themselves unless they had a passenger. Shinoda should have been driving himself then too."

"And so, Shinoda borrowed someone's jeep that was at the construction site and drove off in it himself?"

"Kosaka-san, yeah, just like I said. I don't know why, but maybe he was going somewhere he couldn't go in the company Crown. Considering he changed into work clothes too."

Tomioka's point aligned with what the detectives were thinking. The image of the gravel and mountain roads near that Jomon Tunnel floated through Nishida's mind. Just as it had been for the police vehicles, a sedan-type car could technically pass through, but considering the flying gravel, it was a road one would hesitate to drive a luxury car like a Crown on—especially if it was a company car. Kitagawa seemed to have gone that far in his own reasonably high-end car, but the fact that it was his own vehicle likely made a difference. Of course, the psychology of not wanting to damage one's own car could also come into play...

"You mentioned he changed into work clothes and left. Do you know roughly what time that was?"

"It was definitely before lunch. That said, it wasn't right when work started either. Maybe around 11 o'clock? I'm not confident on that point, though."

"By the way, do you know the reason why Shinoda, who came for a sudden inspection, went somewhere else?"

"I have no idea. Now that you mention it, it's strange behavior, but we didn't pay it any mind at the time."

"When he came back, was there any dirt or anything on his work clothes?"

"No, I didn't look that closely. He did look tired, though."

Tomioka answered Mitsushima's successive, precise questions without hesitation. Though he had overtly shown a lack of motivation at first, perhaps he was bored, as he now seemed to be starting to enjoy the conversation with the detectives.

"Any other questions? I'll answer anything."

Tomioka even showed the composure to invite more questions.

"After he noticed his watch was missing, Shinoda visited the Yubetsu site for about two days. Tell us in more detail what he was like then."

Nishida took him up on it and asked further.

"Like I said before, well, he seemed quite worked up. It was an expensive watch, and apparently one he'd received from the company? So he probably couldn't afford to lose it... but either way, searching his subordinates' belongings is, no matter how bad his personality was, just not normal."

"I understand that part. Sorry, but I want to ask about other things. For example, his clothing, or the car..."

"Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, from the next day on, he came in something like work clothes from the start. The car wasn't the Crown either; I feel like it was a white LanCru (Land Cruiser) owned by the company. Nishida-san, you're sharp."

"I see, I see..."

Nishida wore a look of considerable satisfaction at Tomioka's words. Of course, it wasn't because of the diplomatic compliment, but because of the content of the testimony.

Nishida and the others had speculated that the reason he went to Yubetsu consecutively on the 11th and 12th after the 10th was to search for the watch. Looking at the change in Shinoda's clothing and vehicle, it was possible to think that he might have been searching near the Jomon Tunnel again.

"About those two days he came in the Land Cruiser, how long was he at the Yubetsu site?"

Nishida pressed further.

"My memory of that isn't clear. However, he wasn't there all day on either day; I feel like he left at a fairly early stage after noon. Well, just take this part as 'I feel like it' at most."

Taking Tomioka's testimony at face value, it was strongly considered possible that after going to the construction site on the following two days, he had indeed gone to search for the watch at the site of Yoneda's murder. If he feared he had left physical evidence at a murder scene, he must have been on edge, even if it was a deserted place with little chance of discovery. It wouldn't be strange for him to visit the Jomon Tunnel daily, just as he did Yubetsu. And he likely hoped it was anywhere other than the Jomon Tunnel.

"While we're at it, what was Shinoda like after that? How was he after he stopped searching?"

Kosaka changed the subject.

"The Yubetsu construction finished in early September, and he came just before that, but I don't think he came at all until then. After that, whether I saw him at the company or at a site, I didn't feel anything particularly different about him..."

While watching Tomioka, who was crossing his arms and desperately trying to dredge up his memories, Mitsushima asked slowly.

"What do you think of Kitagawa, the original owner of the watch?"

"Kitagawa? Hmm, he was on good terms with Shinoda, but he was more personable than Shinoda. If I'd known it was his watch, I might not have laid a hand on it, but it's too late for that..."

His tone became strangely sentimental, but he continued.

"I quit the Isaka Group the year before last... no, it was more like I was half-kicked out, but even then, he called out to me as I was leaving. 'Take care,' he said."

With that, he fell silent for a while.

"About that Kitagawa, he fell unconscious during our interrogation the other day..."

Nishida stated the fact as if it were difficult to say.

"Eh? I'm surprised he's unconscious, but what do you mean, interrogation? Isn't the one involved in the incident Shinoda? I haven't heard anything about Kitagawa from the prison guards."

While looking at the surprised Tomioka, Nishida continued.

"Shinoda also died last year."

"He died, huh... But he already seemed in poor health when I quit, so that's no surprise. More importantly, about Kitagawa. What happened?"

He didn't show even a hint of concern for Shinoda, whom he disliked, but it seemed Kitagawa was different.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say. It's important investigative information."

"Then don't say unnecessary things! You just ask me what you want to hear!"

Tomioka spat insults at Nishida and lightly kicked the desk, but the three didn't react. Likely because they all, not just Nishida, thought it had been a statement giving away unnecessary information.

After that, in a silence that was a total reversal from moments ago,

"Fine... It's not like I'm in a position to worry about others anyway... Anything else to ask me?"

Perhaps not out of reflection, he spoke in a voice that sounded like he was suppressing his emotions, his eyes closed.

"I've heard everything I wanted to hear for now. You've been a help. We might come to ask something again, and it would be a help if you'd cooperate then too..."

When Kosaka spoke somewhat hesitantly, Tomioka declared,

"Hmph, do as you like. It would be a help if you didn't come, though. Now, hurry up and release me!"

As if taking that as a signal, Kosaka called the prison guard, and Tomioka vanished from before the three. Perhaps because they couldn't help but feel something in Tomioka's back as he was led away by the guard—something different from his blustering words—the three remained slumped in their folding chairs in silence until Mitsushima spoke.

"Well then, shall we head back?"



The interview ended around 10:00 AM. Having nothing else to do but unable to spend the time as freely as the day before, the three were to return to Engaru and Kitami. At Mitsushima's suggestion, they decided to take a different route for the return trip. The plan was to take Route 239 from Nayoro toward Monbetsu, then take Prefectural Road 137 through Nishi-Okoppe Village to Engaru. Kosaka and Nishida agreed, thinking this route would indeed be the fastest for a return trip that didn't require stopping in Asahikawa.

They passed through Shimokawa Town, which produced Kasai and Okabe, members of the silver-medal-winning jump team at the '94 Lillehammer Olympics the previous year (Author's Note: Okabe later became a gold medalist at the Nagano Olympics, and Ito, who was on the team when Kasai won bronze, is also from Shimokawa Town like Kasai), and went through the center of the aforementioned Nishi-Okoppe Village, famous for its ice tunnels. After that, entering Prefectural Road 137, they continued driving along a single road that felt even more like untrodden territory.

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=414keLRK6Lw

During this journey, the scenery might have been overwhelming for anyone other than a resident of Hokkaido, but for the three, it was nothing more than a sequence of tedious sights. While they weren't particularly avoiding it, the conversation naturally turned to the investigation.

"Shinoda came to the Yubetsu construction site for an inspection on August 10th, and then, for some reason, suddenly changed clothes, changed cars, and left. He came back in the evening. Now, how long does it take from the Yubetsu Bridge at the construction site to the Jomon Tunnel..."

Kosaka was questioning himself, but Mitsushima, who was driving, gave a precise opinion.

"From Yubetsu to the Ikutahara town area, I think you could probably get there in about 40 minutes. However, from there to the Jomon Tunnel, you should probably consider another 30 minutes including the mountain road and the walk. In that case, I think it's better to look at a little over an hour. But since we have nothing to do today anyway, it might be good to actually test it out."

"Hmm, true, we're free and have time. Shall we try it... If we consider two and a half hours for the round trip at this point, then even with three and a half hours for the murder and burying the body, that's six hours... It's perfectly possible for Shinoda, who left before noon, to return to Yubetsu in the evening. Well, let's try to see how long it actually takes one way. Shall we drop Nishida off in Engaru, go to Yubetsu from there, and try it on the way back to Kitami?"

Nishida immediately raised an objection to Kosaka's proposed plan.

"No, if we go as far as Ikutahara, you'll have to return to Engaru again on the way back, and I can't let you go to that trouble. I'll pass on going that far, but at least let me accompany you from Yubetsu to Engaru."

"If you're going that far, Mitsushima and I don't mind, but we're just measuring the time. Honestly, I think it's a waste of time?"

"That may be so, but it's work, after all. No, rather, it might be better for you and Mitsushima to just head back to Kitami, and have my members in Engaru measure it instead."

To Nishida's counter-proposal, Kosaka asked Mitsushima,

"Now that you mention it, that's an option. Mitsushima's been putting on the mileage too... What do you think, shall we leave it to Engaru Station?"

"If you're fine with that, Kosaka-san, I don't mind at all. If we can get home sooner, that's all the better for me."

Mitsushima gave a nonchalant reply and popped some gum into his mouth, perhaps to prevent drowsiness.

"Also, we really have to interview the people who were engaged in the Yubetsu construction back then. We can't just decide things based on Tomioka's story, right? There's information we want to supplement, including the reason he left."

"Yeah, we need to head to Shari as soon as possible."

Like Nishida, Kosaka felt the need to go to the construction site in Shari where the people involved in the construction at the time were, as he had heard from Mita the day before yesterday.

While having such conversations and discussing the appropriateness of the disciplinary action for the superior detective the other day, they entered Takinoue Town just as it was time for lunch. They filled their stomachs at a diner in the quiet town center and started the car toward Engaru again. After some time had passed, Mitsushima stepped on the brakes at a fork where Prefectural Road 137 and Prefectural Road 305 appeared before them.

"It's a bit of a detour, but why don't we stop by the famous Konomai Mine ruins? I've never seen them, so I'd like to take a look. We still have plenty of time. If we go left at this fork on 305 and then right at the next fork a little further ahead, it becomes 137 again toward Engaru. If we go straight on 305, we'll hit the Konomai ruins. If it's no good, I'll give up."

The two were somewhat taken aback by the sudden suggestion, but when Kosaka asked, "How long will it take?" he was told it would take less than an hour. Then Kosaka reluctantly agreed.

"Well, fine... I've decided to leave the Yubetsu matter to Engaru anyway..."

Nishida, however, was a bit interested in the Konomai ruins, so he was secretly attracted to the idea. Mitsushima put the car back in gear, turned left at the fork, and headed toward Monbetsu on Prefectural Road 305. A fork toward Engaru appeared soon, but they passed it for now. As they headed toward the Konomai area, ruins began to enter their field of vision on the left and right.



As mentioned slightly in the matter of the gold in Ikutahara, the Konomai Mine in the Konomai district of Monbetsu City, though already closed, was a gold mine that boasted one of the highest production volumes in Japan. The ore deposit was discovered in 1915 (Taisho 4), and management was transferred to the current Sumitomo Metal Mining in 1917, with operations continuing until 1973. Strictly speaking, from 1943, when the war situation worsened, until immediately after the war, a policy was adopted to prioritize the importance of copper, iron, and coal over gold to maintain military industries, shifting equipment and workers to other mines, so there was a period when it was effectively closed.

During this time, centered around the 1950s, it boasted a significant production volume in Japanese gold mining history, producing about 73 tons of gold by the time it closed. Also, as a mine town, it recorded a population of over 10,000 at its peak during the war deep in the mountains, and even during the post-war revival period, a considerable number of mine-related personnel resided there, but after the closure, it instantly turned into uninhabited ruins.

As is common, there are stories that before the war, under very poor working conditions, there were victims among Japanese and conscripted Koreans, while there is also a theory that it was in a fairly decent environment for a mine at the time, with evaluations being a mix of various theories. However, as a practical matter, it cannot be denied that a certain number of victims occurred due to labor accidents unique to mines. However, it would be appropriate to see that the treatment of miners had improved to some extent after the war.

Currently, other than a Sumitomo Metal office for treating water containing harmful substances from the mine ruins, no one lives there, and one of Japan's leading ruin sites stands quietly. Perhaps because of this, there are many ghost stories, and it has become a spot known to those in the know nationwide, though it is understated, frequented by ruin enthusiasts.

Also, as a piece of trivia, the composer Miyagawa Hiroshi (known as the creator of the Space Battleship Yamato theme song and 'The Peanuts') lived in Konomai as a child due to his father's work, and there is a personal account that he utilized the images he experienced during his time in Konomai when composing the hit song 'Gin-iro no Michi' (according to Wikipedia). There is also a story that Monkey Punch, the original creator of Lupin III, lived there as a child (Author's Note: Source credibility is a bit shaky).

Konomai Gold Mine Reference Links:

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/ikeboo2011goo/e/47c1ab0c59f616eedce7cdd359e6db39

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/b2unit0000/20918447.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9jp6qYP9Uw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y43s-XAnZdU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCMucEObLmE



"So this is the rumored Konomai..."

Kosaka muttered as he looked at the signboards of old town names appearing one after another on both sides of the road. Just as the chimney towering over the refinery ruins came into view,

"Shall we take a little stroll through the ruins?"

Mitsushima asked, but before the two could agree, he had already turned the wheel himself.

Entering a side road from the main road and parking the car, the three stepped outside. The glass of the reinforced concrete buildings, which looked like small apartments and were likely collective housing for staff, was broken, and tree branches were poking into the buildings through the windows. Also, buildings with the famous mark of the Sanyu Group (Author's Note: Company name has been changed) could be seen here and there. They were likely company buildings.

"It's hard to imagine now that a town of this scale became completely uninhabited all at once due to the mine closing."

Nishida looked around, being careful of his footing.

"It's fine because it's daytime, but coming here alone in the middle of the night would be terrifying."

Mitsushima laughed somewhat exaggeratedly.

"Mitsushima, anyone would be scared. I can't even imagine the night in a place where few cars pass even during the day. Being scared is only natural."

Nishida replied with half-exasperation, but Kosaka, on the other hand, stood before a monument for a school site and began to look at it in silence.

"Did something catch your eye?"

Nishida called out, seeing him like that.

"It's nothing much. I was born in Rubeshibe and mostly grew up there, but for a time, I was over in Betsukai (Town) because of my old man's work. But the middle school I was enrolled in then has been closed down. Because of that, I might have gotten a bit lost in sentiment."

To the senior detective, who spoke with a mix of wry smiles,

"Is that so... Indeed, with an experience like that, the way you feel in a place like this might be different."

It wasn't just a social nicety; Nishida's attitude suggested he could understand. In the midst of that, the two stood still for a while, quietly spending a short time. Mitsushima, perhaps sensing the mood, was looking around other places on his own.

They stayed at the ruins for just under 30 minutes, returned the way they came, and rejoined Prefectural Road 137, entering the Engaru city area in less than an hour. Somehow, Engaru felt like a big city, likely because of the image of the Konomai ruins. After bidding farewell to Kosaka and Mitsushima in front of Engaru Station, Nishida entered the station and went to the Detective Division.

When he greeted Section Chief Sawai and reported on the interview, his subordinate detectives also gathered. It was a great achievement that Shinoda's involvement in the incident became even more likely due to Tomioka's testimony. Naturally, the verification of the travel time from Yubetsu to Ikutahara was immediately approved. However, the weight of Section Chief Sawai's words—

"Even if the culprit is Shinoda, it hurts that he's already dead..."

—was something that all the detectives, including Nishida, could not possibly deny. Even if the crime could be proven, it would be nothing more than a formal arrest in the form of the police sending the case to the prosecutors; he would never actually be indicted by a prosecutor. It wouldn't change the fact that the incident couldn't be truly resolved.

"Come to think of it, I don't see Takeshita?"

Because he had been focused on the report, Nishida hadn't noticed Takeshita's absence.

"He went home at noon today. He hadn't taken a break in a long time, and since there didn't seem to be any big movements today, I gave him special permission. He didn't state his purpose clearly, but apparently some urgent business came up. No matter how little movement there is, I normally wouldn't allow it in this situation, but since he's the one requesting it, it's probably not for some frivolous reason."

"I see... I thought it would be better to have Takeshita here for the travel time verification."

Nishida spoke flatly, but in reality, he had a strong desire for Takeshita to be there.

"That can be done even without Takeshita. That aside, who's going with Nishida?"

Since the Section Chief called for volunteers rather than appointing them himself, everyone present raised their hand.

"Well, I guess it would turn out that way..."

Ignoring the Section Chief's mutterings,

"Then you guys do rock-paper-scissors. The two winners are in."

Nishida arbitrarily designated the selection method. As a result of the battle between Komura, Yoshimura, Sawada, Kurosu, and Oba, Yoshimura and Kurosu won.

"And so, the three of us are off."

Nishida gave a half-joking salute to the Section Chief and left the Detective Division room with the two.



They arrived at the starting point, the Yubetsu Bridge, in about 20 minutes from the station. Kurosu, who was driving, said while checking his watch,

"At this rate, getting near the site within an hour is possible, I think."

"In urban areas, you have to consider the time of day, but around here, it doesn't matter what time it is."

As Yoshimura said, in a region unrelated to the concept of traffic jams, there was no need for comparative verification by time of day.

"Then let's head for the site."

With Nishida's word, they headed back toward Engaru. They proceeded west smoothly on Route 242, passed their own Engaru Station on the right, and then headed south, but by the time they entered the Ikutahara town area, 30 minutes had passed. While it was fine as long as they were on the national highway, Nishida's only concern was that he didn't quite grasp how long it would take to drive the unpaved section from there to the vicinity of the Jomon Tunnel. Since he hadn't measured it precisely when he visited several times for the investigation, it was nothing more than a feeling that it would probably be fine.

Leaving the national highway and entering a narrow road, and from there entering the unpaved section, they couldn't go very fast, so Nishida and Yoshimura began to feel a bit of anxiety as they looked alternately at their watches and the view ahead through the windshield. Of course, it wasn't like it was taking much longer than expected. Even the 'Beware of Bears' signs that usually bothered them didn't catch their eyes this time.

"Oh, I see it."

When the open space to park the car came into view, Yoshimura couldn't help but speak up.

"Alright, from here it's a little over five minutes on foot, so about an hour and ten minutes to the site... It's not fast, but it's within the acceptable range."

The three parked the car and hurried along the mountain road to the place where Yoneda had been buried. The site had already returned to the same state as before the incident was discovered, but the three reached the spot without getting lost. Looking at their watches, it was about an hour and twelve minutes, just as Nishida had predicted.

"Well, looking at two and a half hours for the round trip, which I discussed with Kosaka-san earlier, was a pretty sharp prediction. If he had three hours to kill Yoneda and bury him here, he could manage somehow."

Nishida nodded to himself with satisfaction.

"But how about it? We came directly because we know Yoneda was buried in this spot, but at this stage, we don't really know why Shinoda came here in the first place, right? True, since the place where Yoneda disappeared and the place where he was buried almost match, we can guess the murder site was the same, but we have no idea how Shinoda ended up at this spot... We don't even know if he came directly here."

Kurosu's point hit a rather sore spot. As a practical matter, based on the loss of the watch, Kitagawa's movements three years later, and the change in Shinoda's car and clothes discovered this time, they were assuming the premise that Shinoda had come directly to the place where the young Yoneda's body was buried (which was also highly likely the murder site), but the reason for coming here remained unknown. It was all based on the detectives' reasoning that Yoneda's murder and Shinoda's movements might be linked.

"That's true as a practical matter, but since Shinoda is dead, we have no choice but to manage somehow with further investigation. However, I don't think I'm that wrong."

Nishida realized he was speaking more to convince himself than to tell Kurosu, but for now, he had no choice but to follow the path he believed in, regardless of detailed logic.

From there, they hurried back to Engaru Station, and after summarizing the result that Shinoda's murder of Yoneda was fully possible as predicted into a report, Nishida faxed it to the Kitami Regional Headquarters in preparation for the next day's investigative meeting. Since Kosaka and the others should have already reported on the Nayoro matter, he omitted it.



The next day, August 6th, Nishida was in the meeting room of the Kitami Regional Headquarters early in the morning, watching NHK television with the members of Engaru Station until the meeting started. This year, which marked exactly the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the memorial special at the time of the bombing seemed to have more effort put into it, perhaps because it also happened to be a Sunday.

"The war has become distant."

Nishida felt like saying it for some reason, but he only said it quietly as a monologue.

This investigative meeting was held following the report of Kosaka, Nishida, and Mitsushima's trip to Asahikawa and Nayoro, so it proceeded quietly in the form of repeated Q&A sessions with the three, centered around Kosaka, by Investigative Headquarters Chief Otomo and Case Manager Kurano.

Naturally, the three insisted on the importance of interviewing the people involved at the site at the time, and the leadership, though they had already laid the groundwork, ended up accepting it. Also, as a result of a phone confirmation to the Isaka Group regarding the use of the executive-only car that emerged from Tomioka's testimony—which also served as an appointment for the interview with the site personnel who should be in Shari now—confirmation was obtained from the usage logs of the secretary section at the time. Sakazaki, the secretary who had been helpful during the previous interview, did his best this time as well.

The details were unknown, but from a simple memo, it turned out that at the time, Shinoda's private car was unavailable due to a vehicle inspection, so he had been commuting by taxi. Also, it was understood that unless one was the President, a driver wouldn't be provided, so it was normal for Shinoda to drive himself despite it being an executive car.

From the next day onward, the executive car was not used by Shinoda, but unfortunately, it wasn't clear if the replacement was the company's Land Cruiser. This was because the check sheets for the operation status of ordinary company cars were only kept for a short period. However, seeing that the usage status of the Crown was exactly as Tomioka had testified, and given the fact that the company did have a Land Cruiser, it went without saying that the credibility of Tomioka's testimony had increased.

On the other hand, they also had someone ask if any Isaka Group employees had seen Shinoda at the company in Kitami between August 10th and 12th, 1992. However, while some were likely there at the time, there was currently no one who remembered him, so unfortunately, it seemed unlikely that testimony regarding Shinoda's appearance when he stopped by the company would be obtained.

With that, the three—Kosaka, Nishida, and Mitsushima—decided to work out their response for the next day's interview. The main points to be confirmed in this interview were:

1. Whether anyone among the site personnel at the time knew the reason why Shinoda suddenly had to leave the site, and if so, an interview on the details.

2. Whether anyone knew in detail about Shinoda's appearance and state when he returned to the site, and if so, an interview on the details.

3. An interview regarding the situation when Shinoda appeared at the site for two days starting from the next day to search for the watch.

These three would be the main axes. In particular, if detailed testimony regarding 1 and 2 could be obtained, it could become important circumstantial evidence corroborating Shinoda's involvement in Yoneda's murder. The three wanted to reinforce this part somehow. However, neither Kosaka himself, nor Nishida or Mitsushima, could have possibly realized at this point that it would ultimately be impossible for Kosaka to participate in the next day's investigation.

It was after 3:00 PM when Manager Hiruma suddenly burst into the small meeting room next to the main meeting room where the three and other detectives were resting after finishing a round of simulations. Despite drawing the attention of the other investigators, the Manager didn't seem to care at all and shouted at Kosaka in a voice close to a scream.

"Kosaka, sorry, but return to your jurisdiction immediately!"

Before Kosaka and the other investigators, who couldn't grasp what had happened, Hiruma explained.

"Apparently, a body was found in the forest of Tanno Town by a Forestry Bureau employee—it looks like a strangulation murder following a tsukkomi (rape). Though not confirmed, it seems to be the girl from Bihoro who's been missing for a few days. What's more, another woman's decomposed corpse was found nearby. At this point, the possibility of a serial killer is high."

Immediately after Hiruma's explanation, Kosaka's cell phone rang. From Kosaka's tone as he answered, it seemed to be a call from a superior at his jurisdiction.

"Yes, I just received an explanation of the situation from the Manager here. Yes..."

After a while, Kosaka hung up and said,

"It was a call from my Detective Section Chief. There was a request to return to the station, so I'll return to my jurisdiction as per the Manager's instructions. Sorry to Nishida and the others, but for this reason, I can't accompany you tomorrow..."

After first telling the Manager, he also apologized to Nishida and the others.

"No, no, Kosaka, rather, we're the ones who should apologize. We're the ones who forced a violent crimes team leader from an unrelated jurisdiction to come here just because of his local knowledge..."

Hiruma said with a hand-waving gesture.

"Kosaka-san, we'll handle the rest here, so please head back quickly."

At Nishida's word, Kosaka nodded silently, put on the jacket he had taken off, bowed to the other investigators, and left the room. Seeing him off, Hiruma said with a bitter expression as he gathered the other investigators,

"The problem is that this matter affects not just Kosaka, but us as well..."

"Naturally, the Regional Headquarters will have to set up a joint investigation headquarters with the Kitami Station for this matter, but we'll have to create two investigation headquarters simultaneously, including this one. Moreover, if it's serial tsukkomi murders, the social impact is huge. We're currently mobilizing Team 1 of the First Investigative Division, but it would be unreasonable to make the only remaining team the reinforcement for that side. I think there will be considerable support from the Main Office (Hokkaido Prefectural Police Headquarters) too, but since the initial response is vital, as the Regional Headquarters, I want to mobilize almost everyone, two teams' worth, in the early stages. Therefore, my current thinking is to get through the investigation here for a while with just the Engaru team and a very small number of Regional Headquarters members."

When he said this much, a light stir arose among the investigators. Of course, the Manager didn't pay it any mind and unilaterally laid out the decisions.

"I'm thinking of leaving only Mitsushima, who's involved in this interview, and Kitamura, who's paired with Nishida, as the Regional Headquarters members, and taking all the other investigators over there. Section Chief Sawai has already approved, and the Investigative Headquarters Chief intends to have Engaru's Station Chief Makita temporarily promoted from Vice-Chief to handle it. Since Section Chief Kurano will also likely be active as the manager over there, I'm thinking the manager here will be handled by Engaru Station's Section Chief Sawai as a proxy. Support might come here from the Main Office, but the probability is likely low... Basically, requesting support from other detectives in Engaru's Detective Division would come first."

However, Manager Hiruma's words were a perfectly sound judgment. While Yoneda's murder was an incident being investigated simultaneously, Yoneda's case was for now a past incident, whereas the high school girl's murder was an ongoing incident with a high fear of being a serial killing where a quick resolution was essential. It was the theory to conduct a full-scale investigation in the initial response, and it was only natural that Yoneda's incident would be neglected in a sense. In that sense, Nishida could be said to have been in a state of resignation. Because of that, he also thought it was a pity that Mitsushima and Kitamura had 'unluckily' remained in this investigation, or rather, were made to remain. It was hard on the victims, but to be blunt, the investigation of a socially flashy incident could be called the star attraction compared to the wash-up investigation of a plain past incident. Mitsushima, who was in front of him, didn't show any particular sign of regret, but that might just be because he was in front of Nishida. Kitamura wasn't here now and should be in the next meeting room, but what did he think about 'remaining'? Even if he asked directly, he knew well that given Kitamura's personality, he wouldn't show such dissatisfaction at all, just like Mitsushima...

"With that, for the other members, I think an investigation headquarters will be set up by the end of today, so please be mentally prepared so you can take a combat-ready stance at any time."

At Hiruma's instruction, Nishida returned to his senses. What he should do now was not grasp the feelings of the two, but how to manage the investigation from tomorrow onward. Immediately after Hiruma left, Nishida also returned to the meeting room with Mitsushima.

"Section Chief, I just heard the news. We'll be short-handed; what shall we do?"

As soon as he saw Section Chief Sawai upon entering the meeting room, he called out.

"Oh, you heard? What about Shari tomorrow? Apparently Mitsushima will stay here, but shall I assign one person for Kosaka's share?"

"No, there's no need for three people to go when we're short-handed. The ironclad rule is basically pairs. Mitsushima and I will manage tomorrow. That aside, is it okay to assume we're withdrawing from Kitami for a while?"

"No, Headquarters Chief Otomo has already given permission to use the Regional Headquarters facilities depending on the situation."

"I see. That'll be a help when we want to investigate around Kitami for consecutive days."

"Also, it seems they'll make it so we can request support from the Main Office in an emergency, so there's nothing for us to worry about. Even if we need manpower, I think we can basically handle it by deploying other Detective Division investigators from our station. Tell me anytime if there's a problem."

Sawai made a gesture as if thumping his chest with his fist as if to say 'Don't worry,' then patted Nishida's shoulder a few times with his palm.

"Support is really appreciated, but if possible, I'd like to try to resolve it with just Engaru. If we get results from tomorrow's inquiries, that possibility might emerge."

"If you can actually do that, our Prefectural Police Headquarters Chief's Award is a sure thing, but let's not count our chickens before they hatch for now. I am expecting a little, though."

Sawai wore a smile, but Nishida was actually more serious than that.



On August 7th, Nishida arrived at Engaru Station from his home by 5:00 AM and prepared to leave for Kitami. Since he lived alone and could see the newspaper at the police station, Nishida didn't take a newspaper at his home in Engaru, but when he lightly scanned the morning edition of the Hokkaido Shinpo, the influential local paper delivered to the station first thing in the morning, the serial rape-murders from yesterday were on the front page. The television news had been making quite a fuss since evening, but since it hadn't made it into the evening edition in time, it had become the top news in the next morning's edition. Nishida thought that by now, Kosaka and the other guys at the Kitami Regional Headquarters would be starting to move. In an incident like this, a short-term resolution is demanded by both society and the police, so it must be a quite busy investigation, including for the jurisdiction. As someone with a daughter the same age as the victim, he couldn't help but hope for his colleagues' hard work.

Then, after finishing breakfast with convenience store bread, he headed for Kitami before 6:00 AM. In a little over an hour, he picked up Mitsushima in front of the Regional Headquarters building and headed for the Isaka Group's bridge pier construction site beyond Utoro, a tourist spot in Shari. As far as he heard from Mitsushima, who took over the driving on the way, the other investigators were apparently quite on edge, and the atmosphere was quite different from their own 'case.'

Of course, it was the same murder case, but it was unavoidable that the level of effort changed because it was an ongoing one. And Kitamura, who stayed behind, should be arriving at Engaru Station by now, contrary to Nishida. On the way, they were prepared for some congestion since it was the tourist season, but perhaps because of the time of day, it wasn't that crowded. It seemed the fact that it was the Monday before Obon also had an effect. They proceeded along the national highway by the Okhotsk Sea, which reflected a high-transparency blue, and as they went further through the Utoro district, where hotels and other facilities for Shiretoko tourism are concentrated, the target site came into view. It seemed to be a replacement project for bridge piers crossing a valley. They parked the car in the parking lot in front of the prefabricated construction office, where several passenger cars belonging to construction vehicles and workers were parked, and Mitsushima, who went ahead, opened the aluminum door with a rattle. Then,

"Oh, detectives from Kitami?"

A man who appeared to be middle-aged called out to the two from inside. It seemed the request for cooperation to the Isaka Group yesterday had properly reached this site as well, as they didn't even need to identify themselves.

"Yes, sorry for being a bother while you're busy."

Nishida said this as he entered before Mitsushima, gave a light bow, and showed his police badge. Mitsushima also presented his hesitantly from behind. Then each stated their name and gave a brief self-introduction.

"You're earlier than I thought. I expected you around noon." The man checked his watch while handing out his business card. The card read, 'Field Manager: Kondo Takayoshi.'

"Field Manager..."

Nishida muttered as if puzzled, and Kondo spoke business-like, as if it were a common occurrence.

"Ah, that's just the formal name; generally, it's what you'd call a Field Supervisor."

"I see. In the police too, there are various designations different from what they're generally called; is it the same as that?"

"Yes, that's right. Well, you must be tired, so please take a seat for now."

Kondo said this to Nishida and the others, then took canned coffees from the refrigerator and placed them in front of the two. His own was a plastic bottle of tea.

"I heard the gist of the story from our Mita yesterday. I've been told to cooperate to the maximum. Even so, did the deceased Shinoda do something? I heard the police searched regarding Kitagawa's matter the other day too. And apparently that Kitagawa collapsed at the police station? It feels like our company itself is being suspected by the police while I'm out here..."

He clearly wore a look of bewilderment.

"It's not the whole company. Well, I can't say the details, but various things have happened... Also, Vice President Mita was helpful the other day too."

Nishida opened the canned coffee and took a sip.

"But I was surprised. To think the story of that day has become something important for the police. Was the late Shinoda involved in some incident before he died? The Vice President didn't seem to know the specifics well either, but he said that judging by the way the detectives were biting, there was no doubt about it."

"I can't speak specifically, but it's as you suspect."

Nishida placed the canned coffee on the table and took out a notebook.

"So, what we want to ask you, Kondo-san, is about Managing Director Shinoda's actions and appearance over the three days from August 10th to 12th, 1992."

"Yes, I've heard. I didn't remember the exact dates, of course, but after receiving the call from Mita, the events of that day remained very vivid in my memory, so I was a bit startled."

"Ho, vivid?"

"That's because the Managing Director came to see us because there was a delay in the construction period, and we got a real earful from him... We had a terrible time from the morning of that day. However, it was before noon, I think? A call came to the site from our President—the previous one, that is—and after that, the Managing Director left the site in a great hurry."

"A call from the President. Do you know the specific content?"

Mitsushima asked, having waited for the right moment. Since it was the first time Nishida had heard this testimony, it was a point of interest for him too.

"I don't know the specifics. After the Managing Director reprimanded me, he left the office to see the construction site, but after that, the President called saying, 'I think the Managing Director is over there; call him and bring him here quickly,' so I went to call him. And then the Managing Director took the call..."

When he said that much, Kondo put the plastic bottle of tea to his mouth. Then, after the movement of his Adam's apple as he took a sip to moisten his throat clearly entered Nishida's view, he busily tightened the cap of the remaining bottle and continued the story.

"He suddenly raised his voice at the President, sounding angry, saying 'There's no way that's true!' so I was surprised too. This was to the one-man founder President. When I first received the call from the President, he seemed quite panicked too, and since the Managing Director was like that as well, I thought something quite big had happened."

"Very interesting indeed. And then, what happened after that?"

Nishida prompted him to continue.

"After that... well, for a while, the Managing Director kept repeating things like 'It's strange' or 'I can't believe it.' I didn't know what they were talking about, but the President's voice was loud enough to leak from the phone, so I think he was shouting too. Then, after that kind of exchange continued for a while, he said, 'Then I'll go check, if you're going that far. I'll explain how it was when I get back!' and hung up the phone a bit roughly. And immediately after, he said, 'I'm going somewhere I can't really go in the company Crown, so lend me a car I can use off-road, like a four-wheel drive,' and since mine wasn't much of a car—it was just a normal sedan—I had no choice but to ask the president of a subcontracting company who was visiting to lend me his jeep. Well, since he was a subcontractor, he probably couldn't refuse. And then he changed into some work clothes we had extra at the site. Ah, I forgot to mention, but he was in a suit when he arrived. Since he just came to see how things were and give me a piece of his mind, I guess he was in a suit... Anyway, that's how it was. Various things left an impression, so I remembered the events of that time quite clearly."

"The company Crown was a black Crown, and the jeep was a red jeep, right?"

Nishida confirmed just in case.

"Yes, exactly."

"Who was the owner of that jeep?"

"A person named Masuda-san."

"Understood."

The story so far was basically as Tomioka had testified, but several new pieces of testimony had emerged. That the reason Shinoda suddenly left the site was a call from the President, and that an argument had occurred during that call. And that the owner of the jeep he drove off in was identified.

"Specifically, did he say where he was going or what he was going to do?"

Mitsushima spoke in a tone that sounded rushed because the story had developed.

"Specifically... I don't think he said anything like that. If he had, I think I'd remember it along with the series of memories of that day."

"I see... Then is there anything else that caught your attention at that time?"

Mitsushima looked disappointed as he pursed his lips, then asked again as if reconsidering. Kondo made a gesture as if thinking for a moment.

"Come to think of it, I think he was also talking about wanting to borrow a shovel..."

"A shovel!?"

Nishida bit.

"Yes, I think he was saying he needed a shovel."

"And you lent it to him?"

"No, I recall there was no need to lend it."

"No, no, that's strange, isn't it?"

Considering the need to bury Yoneda's body, this was a part that became quite important, so perhaps because Nishida's way of saying it was overtly dissatisfied, Kondo's expression seemed to cloud for a moment.

"Even if you say that, that's how it was, so I'm saying so."

He spoke with clear dissatisfaction.

"Ah, I don't mean I think you're lying. It's just that if that's the case, the story doesn't connect."

Since offending the other party was not good for the investigation, Nishida made an excuse.

"If that's the case, then fine... President Masuda, who ended up lending the car, was also there, and it turned into 'There's a shovel loaded in the back of the car,' and the Managing Director confirmed it. So the story is that it was no longer needed."

Receiving Nishida's follow-up, Kondo seemed to be convinced for now and explained in detail.

"I understand the matter of the shovel, but wasn't he also requesting something like a pickaxe at the same time?"

"Regarding a pickaxe, I don't have any memory of the Managing Director saying to lend him something like that. I think it was just the shovel."

"...I see, understood."

Nishida's tone became overtly disappointed. Since Yoneda's cause of death was assumed to be a cerebral contusion from a sharp object to the head, a pickaxe was considered one of the very likely murder weapons. Here, Nishida put the canned coffee to his mouth again to take a breath. Mitsushima also did the same, as if he had been waiting for the timing after seeing the senior detective take a break.





Kondo, who had been watching the two, also began to open the cap and drink tea as if influenced. This time he seemed to be drinking a considerable amount, as the light green line floating in the bottle kept dropping. Nishida, who had already finished his 'required amount' on the spot, was now conversely watching Kondo's drinking, but Kondo, noticing this, suddenly pulled the bottle away from his mouth, busily tightened the cap with a kyu-kyu sound, and placed it on the table.

"About the pickaxe, just now while I was drinking tea, I remembered something that caught my attention."

"Anything is fine, so please tell us."

Nishida prompted with a polite smile.

"At that time, Masuda-san opened the back door of the jeep and showed the Managing Director the various tools loaded inside for him to confirm. I'm not confident, but I recall there were quite a few things, so I think there might have been a pickaxe among them. However, I'll say it again, I'm not confident."

Kondo emphasized his lack of confidence to Nishida as if to be sure, but the fact that such a possibility remained was enough of a promising detail.

"No, that can't be helped. It's a story from three years ago, and it's not like you were looking at it consciously. Including that matter, we'll have to confirm with that Masuda-san? soon."

"Nishida-san, actually, that Masuda-san is participating in this site right now. He's always helpful with our bridge-related work. Unfortunately, it seems he scrapped the car, so it's not the same vehicle as back then, but..."

"Is—is that true! Please say that first! I thought we'd have to hear from Masuda-san, but to think he's right here! How very convenient! Of course, you'll let us talk to him after this, right?"

At Kondo's unexpected words, Nishida became excited. The fact that the crucial jeep had been scrapped flew off somewhere.

"I'm sorry about that. When you asked about the owner of the jeep earlier, I thought I'd say it, but you cut the conversation short with 'Understood,' so I missed the chance... I'll talk to Masuda-san after this. Well, I don't think Masuda-san will refuse."

"Wow, this is extremely helpful!"

A smile naturally escaped Nishida, but Mitsushima, beside him, wasn't so much.

"Masuda-san's company is in Monbetsu, so if he weren't here, you'd have had to go all the way to Monbetsu, so the detective might indeed be lucky. We don't do bridge pier construction that frequently, after all."

For Nishida, going to Monbetsu was physically closer from Engaru than coming to Shiretoko, so his reason for being happy was completely different. His reasons were that 'it saved trouble' and that having two witnesses at the same time allowed them to supplement each other's memories, increasing the certainty of the testimony. In other words, Kondo's words were, to be honest, off the mark, but it was a level of luck where that didn't matter. Still, hearing about Shinoda is the priority now. Nishida returned to the subject.

"We'll hear the Masuda-related story later; for now, could you tell us about Managing Director Shinoda after that?"

"So he left in the borrowed car, and around the time everyone came back from the site after work was finished, the Managing Director also returned."

"What was he like then? In as much detail as possible, please."

"He did seem quite exhausted. When I said 'Good work,' he only reacted with a faint voice. That man who was usually quite arrogant..."

Kondo smirked while answering Mitsushima's question. Here too, Shinoda's reputation was poor.

"How about the dirt on his work clothes? Was there any sign that he had obviously used a shovel to work somewhere?"

"I don't have a strong memory of them being very dirty, but they might have been somewhat dirty... That part didn't leave much of an impression, unfortunately. However, I remember well that he looked very tired anyway."

"I see, that's fine then."

Nishida backed off easily. Kondo was squinting and trying his best to trace his memory, but that part seemed unclear. However, rather than having him give a random testimony with confidence, Nishida was actually grateful. It's self-evident that false information leads to false investigations.

"By the way, about those work clothes, I think he changed back into his suit when he returned, but do you know what happened to them?"

"I think he did change into his suit. As for the work clothes, I think the Managing Director took them home as they were. I didn't receive them. Well, asking a company executive to 'return the borrowed work clothes' is... They were just extras we had. However, going back to the dirt story, since he went to the trouble of changing, he must have at least been sweating. It was midsummer. Thinking about it that way, I guess they were dirty after all..."

Even if he had returned them, there was no way those work clothes would have been preserved in that state, and while Nishida thought 'it's impossible' after saying it, what was out was out. However, if something like bloodstains remained on the work clothes, it would certainly be powerful evidence, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Come to think of it, did the Managing Director make any kind of contact with the President after returning to the site office?"

Mitsushima asked what Nishida had completely forgotten.

"No, he shouldn't have done it from our office phone. That said, cell phones shouldn't have been getting a proper signal at the Yubetsu construction site back then, and I don't think he was carrying one. In the end, after returning to Kitami, I think he reported whatever it was. Well, in the first place, if he had a cell phone and it was working, the President would have called the Managing Director directly. If the Managing Director had called from a payphone or something on his way back here, we'd have no way of knowing. The place he went itself seems to be somewhere in the mountains, based on speculation..."

Kondo even tried his hand at the reasoning they should be doing.

"Then let's end the story of August 10th here and move on to the story from the next day onward. He came at an early time on the next day too, right?"

Nishida asked as he turned to the next page, as the two-page spread of his notebook was full.

"On the 11th, first, a call came from the Managing Director first thing in the morning, and he said, 'Isn't there a watch with Kitagawa Managing Director's name on the back over there?' So we did a simple search and didn't find it, and when I said 'We can't find it,' he asked, 'Did you really search properly?'... In the end, he said 'I can't trust you guys!' and ended up coming all the way to the site. I think he came around 10:00 AM. And then, he suddenly gathered the workers and did a search of their belongings. We also asked him to stop because 'it would affect the trust relationship,' but... After it didn't turn up, he and I searched the site and office thoroughly, but of course, we didn't find it. And then, he left just like that in the afternoon."

"About that 11th, we've already obtained testimony that the car was a white Land Cruiser and he was already in work clothes when he arrived; is that correct?"

"You've investigated well. Who did you hear that from?"

"About that, well..."

Mitsushima, who had asked the question, became evasive when asked back. Honestly, Nishida thought it would be fine to 'bring up' Tomioka's existence, but perhaps he considered the circumstances of the discovery of the relationship between the imprisoned Tomioka and Shinoda.

"Is it that 'secrecy of investigative information' thing? No, that's exactly right, and I apologize. It's certain it was correct. It was the company's Land Cruiser. There was a possibility of getting dirty with dust or something from turning things over to search, so I think he came in work clothes for that reason."

Kondo, perhaps sensing the situation from the two's behavior, stopped pursuing it further and answered what he was asked.

"But with just that, the reason for the Land Cruiser isn't quite explained. There might be the point that it's okay to ride in it with dirty clothes, but..."

Nishida voiced his doubt. Of course, the reason for the Land Cruiser was precisely because he had almost concluded it was for going to the site in Ikutahara.

"When you put it that way, you're right... Even if the executive car was unavailable, there should have been ordinary sedan types among the company cars... It might have been for going to the same place as the day before or stopping by the same place as the day before. Well, that's not something a layman like me should be thinking about."

"That's certainly true. I accidentally got worked up in the flow of things."

Nishida bowed his head frankly.

"Then let's end the matter of the 11th here and move the story to the 12th. Please tell us about that day."

"On the 12th, he came directly without even calling, and it felt like he was thoroughly re-searching the places he'd searched on the 11th. I was busy that day, and partly because I was fed up with the Managing Director's attitude from the day before, I didn't help. He didn't particularly say anything to me either, though."

"It was the Land Cruiser and work clothes on the 12th too, right?"

"Yes, that's right. However, I recall he went back earlier on that day than on the 11th. Well, something that didn't turn up the day before wasn't going to come out of the same place, right?"

This point also matched Tomioka's testimony. There was no way they had coordinated their stories, so the certainty of both men's testimony should be quite high.

"Was there any dirt on the work clothes?"

"No, there wasn't, for sure."

Nishida, who had been continuing the questions, was curious where Kondo's conviction for the answer to this question came from, unlike the matter of the work clothes on the 10th.

"Is the reason you can say that so definitively, if you'll excuse me, just from the strength of your memory?"

"Of course. The work clothes for executives are a bit different from general work clothes, and there are two colors; gray and light blue. On the 11th it was gray, and on the 12th it was light blue. That's why it left an impression. Also, I didn't say it earlier because the conversation didn't go that way, but the work clothes we lent the Managing Director on the 10th were the same ones our general workers wear."

"I see. Then it would leave an impression."

It was a convincing answer, but the reason Tomioka's memory of the work clothes wasn't clear, unlike Kondo's, might be because he didn't have that kind of prior knowledge. In any case, if Kondo's testimony is a fact, then after leaving the Yubetsu construction site on the 11th, even if he went to the murder site in Ikutahara and got dirty from working, he wouldn't have carried that dirt over to the next day.

And, both Nishida and Mitsushima thought they had finished asking Kondo what they should for now, and finally, they were to interview Masuda, who was said to have lent the car. Leaving the two in the office, Kondo went to talk to Masuda, but it took almost no time, and he returned with Masuda.

Masuda, who was in his line of sight as he stood up and introduced himself, was quite elderly, with an appearance that suggested he was likely in his mid-60s. His face was tanned, and while he was short and thin, his arms looked quite thick. Even if he was the president, since he still came out to the site at this age, it was certain it wasn't a very large company. Nishida thought he was more of a 'boss' type than a president.

"Sorry for calling you out."

"No, no, I don't quite grasp the situation, but it seems like an important investigation... Kondo-san asked me too, so it can't be helped. I don't have a business card on me now, sorry."

Masuda made a 'forgive me' gesture and took a seat.

"From what I heard from Kondo-san, you want to hear about the time I lent my car to that 'big shot' from the Isaka Group back then?"

From the way he said 'big shot,' Nishida judged that there had been no prior acquaintance with Shinoda.

"That's exactly right."

"Well, I was asked by Kondo-san and had no choice. I'd seen him at sites a few times before, and he had an arrogant attitude, so I thought he was a big person at Isaka-san's place, but I don't like lending to people I don't know, since it was my beloved car."

Just as he finished saying that, Masuda, who was handed a canned coffee by Kondo, opened it without hesitation and drank it, so Nishida lost the timing for a question. Then Mitsushima, as if seizing the right to question,

"According to Kondo-san, you've already let go of the jeep, but is that correct?"

He said.

"Eh? You heard from Kondo-san? Yeah, yeah, I'd been riding it for 15 years, after all, so I scrapped it in the spring of last year. A 'good job' to it."

"I see... Scrapped after all."

Mitsushima involuntarily clicked his tongue. He likely didn't mean it as an insult, but Nishida looked at the expressions of the two for a moment. Fortunately, they didn't seem particularly bothered.

However, having completely gotten lost in the confusion, Nishida had hardly noticed the weight of the matter, but the fact that the jeep had been scrapped was indeed a painful fact. While the probability wasn't high, even if it wasn't in Masuda's possession, if the car itself remained even under another person's name, it might have been worth checking for residues like bloodstains, even though three years had passed. Also, the possibility of obtaining physical evidence of having gone to the site in Ikutahara might not have been zero. The reason Mitsushima wasn't very happy when he was informed earlier that Masuda was at this site was likely because he had grasped this meaning more significantly than Nishida had at that time. Nishida felt somewhat ashamed. However, what was gone was unfortunately unavoidable now. He had no choice but to switch gears.

"I heard you were told by Shinoda about the need for a shovel and showed him various tools loaded in the back; do you remember if there was a pickaxe among them?"

Nishida wanted to pull himself together, but as if he couldn't wait, he suddenly hit the core.

"Of course there was. And that big shot named Shinoda knew it too, of course."

Masuda used 'of course' twice. He seemed very certain.

"Why can you say that Shinoda knew? He didn't seem to be particularly requesting a pickaxe."

Nishida's question was precisely because he had expected a response like 'It would have surely caught his eye when he was looking at the tools' at most.

"The day after I lent the car, when that person came again, he said to me. 'Sell me the pickaxe that was loaded in the car for 20,000 yen.' If someone says 20,000 for a pickaxe, you'd be surprised, wouldn't you!"

"Eh! Is that true!"

Nishida leaned forward as he said that. Mitsushima also stopped his hand from taking notes and focused on the story. Nishida didn't know exactly how much a pickaxe cost, but he didn't think it would be as much as 20,000. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't strange that Masuda was surprised. And it made sense that it left a strong impression. And above all, paying as much as 20,000 for a pickaxe was evidence that he wanted that pickaxe that badly.

"And did you sell it?"

"Of course. I wondered why he'd pay that much, but for me, the reason doesn't matter, right? Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. If I were told that, I'd do the same."

Nishida answered that way, but in his heart, the fact that the actual item had already been recovered by Shinoda weighed heavily. It was likely already disposed of. Just like the jeep, two pieces of valuable evidence were lost. With a feeling of clinging to hope, he immediately moved to the next question.

"On the previous day, the 10th, when he returned the car, there was no such talk?"

"Yeah, there wasn't. He didn't even have words of thanks for lending the car. Well, he was tired, so he might have forgotten. Or maybe buying the pickaxe for 20,000 was intended as a thank-you, I thought later. Well, it's expensive for that, though."

Masuda laughed it off.

"Excuse me, but from the time the car was returned until you handed it over to Shinoda, I think you probably had a chance to see the pickaxe; was there any sign of a problem?"

"Problem? I don't think there were any chips or anything."

"I see. Was that pickaxe you handed over something you used for construction or something?"

"No, basically my company hadn't been doing work that used pickaxes for about 10 years. It was loaded not so much for work, but just as a spare in case I used it for something like picking mountain vegetables. It should have been in like-new condition, having hardly been used since I bought it."

"Do you know roughly how long it had been since you bought it at that time?"

"...That's difficult, but I noticed the handle of the one I had before was getting loose. So the time I bought the replacement was when I'd already been riding that jeep for quite a while, so maybe three years? At the longest. Honestly, I don't know for sure."

Synthesizing what Masuda had said so far, it was highly likely that the pickaxe Shinoda bought hadn't been very damaged even before he killed Yoneda, and at the same time, there was no sign of the teeth being broken or bloodstains being visible even after the murder. Especially regarding bloodstains, Shinoda had likely wiped them off before loading it into the car, or had done something like stabbing it into the ground to wipe it. Anyway, it was safe to see it as having remained almost the same as when it was first bought. However, the reason he didn't buy it from Masuda or steal it on the previous day, the 10th, was likely because of Shinoda's forgetful personality, or because when he returned, the workers had returned from work and he was concerned about others' eyes, so he couldn't take it home then, Nishida thought. The murder site aside, the reason he didn't throw it away on a mountain road on the way back was likely because it belonged to Masuda, so he feared a fuss if it went missing, and he might have thought of obtaining it surely by 'peaceful' means immediately after the murder. However, he was flustered in various ways and forgot on that day.

In any case, the reason Nishida was so particular about the state of the pickaxe was that since the 'actual item' was already gone, he had no choice but to obtain the same model as that pickaxe and compare it with the wounds left on Yoneda's skull, so he wanted to at least confirm what the state of that actual item was before and after lending it.

"About that pickaxe, I don't suppose you remember where you bought it or the product name?"

"No, I remember well. The one I handed over and the one I bought as a replacement were both from the Monbetsu home center 'Ester Homer.' I don't know the product name, but I have the same one loaded in my car now, so you can just look at that. I should have bought the same one as a replacement after I sold it."

Nishida, who had been answering Masuda's rapid-fire questions and processing them mechanically, leaned forward again.

"Then please show it to me immediately!"

"Detective, why are you so obsessed with the pickaxe?"

Masuda had been responding without complaint, but he seemed to have felt a sense of incongruity at Nishida's words and actions from earlier. And Nishida himself had been agonizing over how much to disclose about the content of the investigation.

However, the option of remaining completely silent would be unreasonable considering he wanted the other party's cooperation, Nishida was made to recognize again by Masuda's statement. A difficult balance was needed in how much to reveal. However, since the police were investigating Shinoda now of all times, and thoroughly at that, the other party must already realize it's an incident of some sort. Moreover, the more he investigated, the more it would be revealed what he was investigating. Either way, Nishida braced himself, knowing it was only a matter of time before the other party found out.

"We are investigating the relationship between Shinoda-san and a certain murder case."

"Murder!? Did Managing Director Shinoda commit a murder?"

The two showed considerable agitation at the word 'murder' suddenly uttered from the detective's mouth. Especially Kondo, who was so surprised he choked on the tea he was drinking and even asked Nishida back.

"That's a big deal. Detective, is it true?"

Masuda, for his part, widened his eyes and confirmed with Nishida, but Nishida also affirmed it with a serious face.

"This is bad... In other words, it's okay to think that someone died by the pickaxe I sold, right...?"

Masuda was stunned for a while, but as if he had somehow pulled himself together,

"In that case, I have to show you the pickaxe I have now immediately. Please confirm it..."

As he said that, he stood up and tried to guide Nishida and the others. The two detectives and Kondo followed after Masuda.

The car parked at the edge of the parking lot where Nishida and the others had parked was a Pajero. Whether he liked these off-road types or needed them, it was a fact that it was the same type after he replaced it. When he opened the back door, several tools were loaded there. They were likely loaded in the jeep in the same way.

"This is it. It should be the same one."

Nishida and Mitsushima thoroughly confirmed the pickaxe Masuda handed over. This one was also in very good condition, and it was clear it had hardly been used. If what Masuda had said so far is a fact, the 'wounds' should almost match. Of course, if the manufacturing process or something were different, that couldn't be said for sure, but in that case, he'd have no choice but to confirm directly with the manufacturer listed on the handle of the pickaxe.

"I'm sorry, but could you lend this to the police for a while?"

"No, no, of course, you're welcome to take it. It's not like I use it particularly."

Masuda readily agreed to Nishida's request, but the reality might have been that rather than a ready agreement, he felt he couldn't say NO out of a sense of guilt that he might have sold evidence to a criminal. However, of course, there could be no ill will in that past act, and Nishida was rather nothing but grateful for Masuda's cooperation, including his testimony.

Regarding the 12th, Masuda had not contacted Shinoda at all, so the interview was stopped here, and carrying the replacement pickaxe borrowed for appraisal, Nishida and the others headed for the Kitami Regional Headquarters. This was because the model of the wounded area taken from Yoneda's skull was kept in the Forensics Division.

At the same time, since there had been a quite large 'harvest,' he contacted the station by radio with an overview before the appraisal, and Section Chief Sawai was quite surprised by the sudden progress, but took a calmer attitude than Nishida had imagined. In fact, he thought it would have been fine if he had been a bit more happy.



Arriving in Kitami in a little over two hours, Nishida and Mitsushima entered the Kitami Regional Headquarters building. However, the usual liveliness was gone, and it was enveloped in a quite quiet atmosphere. Nishida felt an illusion as if he had strayed into a different dimension because the air was different from a few days ago, but he realized it was because a considerable number of detectives were out at the special investigation headquarters at the Kitami Station for the serial female murders.

And in the hallway, he ran into a detective named Horai, whom he had been investigating with until the other day. Apparently, he remained to organize information sent from the investigation headquarters as a Regional Headquarters member. When asked about the investigation status, he said that the decomposed corpse also had traces of rape, but the victim had not been identified. It seems likely that no missing person report has been filed. He seemed to be considering that it might drag on longer than expected, and Nishida realized he should give up on expecting cooperation from the Regional Headquarters for a while.

Entering the Forensics Division room, he handed the pickaxe borrowed from Masuda to Shibata, the Forensics Division Senior Staff and the forensic officer in charge of the Yoneda murder case. Shibata, while listening to the two, was staring at their faces more than the pickaxe, but as soon as he finished listening,

"Is it true? Is this really the same pickaxe as the murder weapon?"

He made his characteristic unconscious spiteful remark. That said, he immediately matched the wounded part of the model he brought with the pickaxe.

"Ho. This is a surprise. It matches perfectly! I can't confirm it right now, but there's probably no mistake about this. Good job. Congratulations."

It didn't sound like he was praising from the bottom of his heart, but the true meaning should be different. Nishida and Mitsushima decided to take it in its literal sense.

"So, what's the development after this? The probability that the dead man named Shinoda killed Yoneda has likely shot up, but is it the usual form of sending the case to the prosecutors?"

"Shibata-san, just because we could prove the weapon is likely the same model as this pickaxe, it's not even clear if Shinoda actually went to the murder site, let alone the murder. I think he went and killed him based on several pieces of circumstantial evidence, though... Objectively, that's still only at the stage of 'he probably went,' so I think it'll be tough unless we can somehow prove that part. To put it extremely, the logic that Shinoda sublet the pickaxe to someone and that person killed Yoneda, or that a completely unrelated third party happened to use the same type of pickaxe, isn't impossible. Circumstantial evidence is certainly starting to point to Shinoda's crime, but..."

He listed other possibilities in a roundabout way, but of course, he was convinced there was almost no such possibility.

"I understand what Nishida is saying, but that's just a theoretical possibility; normally, it's the crime of Shinoda, who borrowed it, as a practical matter. If you've come this far, won't the rest work out somehow? It's obvious the end result will be non-indictment anyway."

"Even if the other party is deceased, and even if it's non-indictment, I'll do it carefully."

"That's the hallmark of a detective. For now, I'll take charge of this. The report might take a few days. As you know, we're currently busy with the high school girl murder."

Shibata said this bluntly to Nishida, then vanished into the back with the pickaxe and the model.



Upon returning to Engaru Station, shortly after the report by Nishida and Mitsushima, a discussion was held on how to 'tighten' the case for sending Shinoda, who is dead, to the prosecutors. Needless to say, since sending the case to the prosecutors ultimately cannot lead to an indictment due to the death of the suspect, even if it's merely for the self-satisfaction of the investigators, there was a desire to do it for a certain closure. Section Chief Sawai, like Nishida, recognized that it would be difficult to prove 'whether Shinoda actually went to the murder site' or 'whether Shinoda actually committed the murder.'

"The disposal of the jeep is the only big disappointing result from this interview... We barely managed to hold on, including Masuda's testimony, because a replacement for the pickaxe used as the weapon was obtainable."

The Section Chief leaked this with a grim face. Even though he was already dead, precisely because they were cornering the culprit, Shinoda's death and the disposal of the jeep were disappointing facts, but it was clear that they had seen considerable progress considering things up until a month ago. That's why it's frustrating that the final 'checkmate' is not to be found. While the meeting continued without an idea coming to mind, Takeshita slowly opened his mouth.

"About Isaka... the late former President Isaka Daikichi; according to this testimony, he apparently called Shinoda, who was at the Yubetsu construction site, on August 10th, right? Though the content of that is not clearly known..."

"That's right, but does Takeshita have something?"

"What do you think about that, Team Leader?"

"I'm troubled even if you ask what I think. Since they were arguing, it must have been something significant."

"The possibility that Shinoda and the unconscious Kitagawa were also involved in the disappearance of Sada Minoru is high, based on the investigative information so far, but what about the possibility that the call is related to that?"

"Senior Staff! But the Sada incident was eight years ago, and this story about Shinoda is from three years ago!"

Komura threw out a natural doubt. But Takeshita didn't flinch.

"As far as I hear the testimony of the construction personnel at the time, things like 'There's no way that's true' or 'I'll check' were being exchanged in what you could call an argument between Isaka and Shinoda. This should be seen as having definitely happened. Of course, the possibility of it being a pure work-related story cannot be completely denied, but even looking at Shinoda's subsequent actions, it seems there are many inexplicable actions for it to be just work-related. On the other hand, from the fact that it turned into an argument, there's no doubt that a considerably large problem had suddenly arisen at that time. It wasn't work, but a big problem had arisen besides that... Moreover, a need arose to head to a place requiring quite outdoor-like preparations for 'confirmation.' Adding these up..."

When Takeshita said that much, it seemed to Nishida that he hesitated slightly for what came next. However, after a movement like catching his breath,

"This is a quite leap of reasoning, but could it be that 'confirming' was about confirming Sada's body? What do you think, Section Chief?"

He came out with something quite sudden. Nishida couldn't help but look twice at Takeshita's face at this overly bold reasoning. The other eight people—Section Chief Sawai, Komura, Sawada, Yoshimura, Kurosu, Oba, and the two from the Kitami Regional Headquarters, Mitsushima and Kitamura—also focused their gaze on Takeshita.

"That's a quite overly bold idea."

The Section Chief rotated his chair to face sideways.

"In the first place, the most likely hypothesis from the investigation so far is that Yoneda was killed because he happened to get caught up in something. Regarding what he got caught up in, the highest possibility was 'encountering a crime scene,' right?"

Takeshita continued, regardless of the lack of reaction from those around him.

"Could that 'encountering a crime scene' have been the very moment when Shinoda... no, there's a possibility there were other accomplices including Kitagawa, but when they were digging up the body of Sada, whom they had killed and dumped eight years ago, for 'confirmation' in the summer three years ago? Since that place is a spot they've both had local knowledge of for a long time, it's possible as a disposal site for Sada's body, right? Section Chief."

"There seems to be a problem with that theory."

Mitsushima spoke up to disagree without a moment's delay.

"First, if Sada had been killed, it's not understood why there was a need to re-confirm the body. At least, it's certain they had been able to conceal the murder for five years since Sada's disappearance. Even if it's fully possible that something considerably serious happened judging from the exchange between Isaka and Shinoda, whether that connects to the confirmation of Sada's body... And in the unlikely event... assuming that were the case, what is the reason for that confirmation? It's interesting as reasoning, but there seems to be quite a bit of unreasonableness in the process leading up to it."

"It's true that Isaka and Shinoda seem to be involved in Sada's disappearance, but I feel it's still weak to directly link the facts discovered this time from there. I think it's okay to consider it as one possibility, though..."

Nishida also agreed with Mitsushima.

"Takeshita, is it okay?"

Sawai rotated his chair back to the front and spoke to Takeshita.

"Assuming Takeshita's reasoning is correct... the problem becomes where Sada's body is now. What do you think?"

"It's self-evident that the assumption that Yoneda was killed immediately after witnessing Shinoda digging things up is the most persuasive within the theory I thought of. And it would be wise to see that Yoneda's body was also buried not so far from the murder site. Assuming that, can't it be said that the place where Yoneda's body was and the place where Sada's body was are necessarily not that far apart?"

"Hmm..."

Sawai squeezed out a voice as if groaning, then leaned back against the backrest and looked up at the ceiling. The gaze of everyone, which had been focused on Takeshita until a moment ago, was now directed at the Section Chief's 'slovenly' posture. Time just flowed without anyone uttering a word. However, the reason no one spoke was likely more because they were waiting for what the Section Chief would say next.

"Nishida! The investigation we've been doing since Yoneda's body was found was, naturally, first to catch Yoneda's killer, right?"

Sawai suddenly threw the question to Nishida without even correcting his posture.

"Ha? Ah, yes... that's right. That's only natural."

Nishida, caught off guard by the sudden question and its obvious content, stammered for a moment.

"And after hearing about Sada's disappearance eight years ago from Kosaka, and including the subsequent investigation, the investigation proceeded on the premise that Kitagawa might have been involved in Yoneda's murder and Sada's disappearance. Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Everyone nodded, but they couldn't fathom the Section Chief's intention. The other detectives also hadn't grasped the reason for Sawai's 'change' as he began to speak flatly about the progress of the case.

"But in the end, since Kitagawa was staying in America for a long period at the time, he wasn't directly involved in Yoneda's murder. Because of that, the aim of investigating Sada's case and Kitagawa's involvement without letting the 'Top (Upper Management)' complain, based on the initial plan to build a case for Kitagawa's murder of Yoneda, has completely collapsed. On the other hand, the existence of Shinoda has rapidly surfaced, and the possibility that Shinoda was also involved in Sada's case has emerged. So a different route to the investigation of Sada's case through Shinoda's matter was found."

Sawai corrected his posture here and continued further.

"Including today's investigation by Nishida and Mitsushima, regarding Yoneda's murder, the conviction that the late Shinoda is 'black' (guilty) has increased to some extent. And the reasoning has become possible that Shinoda's misunderstanding that he lost Kitagawa's watch at the time of Yoneda's murder has also connected to Shinoda's subsequent actions and Kitagawa's late-night actions at the site this year. However, unfortunately, the last piece of the puzzle hasn't been found. I think this is the current situation. And, considering the number of years passed and the current situation, it can be considered that finding that piece is quite tough. If so, a reverse way of thinking might be necessary."

"What's this 'reverse way of thinking'?"

Yoshimura voiced the doubt.

"It's that the situation Engaru Station is placed in now is, to be honest, a quite special situation."

The Section Chief then fell silent. As if he couldn't wait, Takeshita opened his mouth.

"I see! Is what the Section Chief wants to say that we should make the most of the special circumstances where Engaru Station is currently investigating almost alone?"

"It's just as Takeshita says!"

It seemed Takeshita was able to represent the Section Chief's intention. The Section Chief took that as a cue and began to speak enthusiastically.

"The current investigation headquarters has Mitsushima and Kitamura as members of 'Kitami (Regional Headquarters),' but basically 'Engaru' is investigating alone. Moreover, since Kitami and the 'Main Office (Prefectural Police Headquarters)' are completely focused on the Tanno female murders, the 'Main Office' is not 'monitoring' us here either. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We're in a state where we can investigate Sada's case on our own first, without following the 'procedure' of obtaining permission for a new investigative policy from the 'Top,' which we originally should have followed. What Kurano-san, Otomo-san, and Kosaka wanted to do but couldn't might be possible for Engaru Station alone now! And, just as Takeshita said at first, if Sada's disappearance... which should naturally be seen as a high possibility of being a murder, and Yoneda's case are directly linked, then resolving Sada's case first might lead to proving Shinoda's murder of Yoneda. It becomes a completely reverse approach from the initial one!"

When the Section Chief said this much, Nishida dared to interject.

"Wait a minute! I agree that finding the last piece is difficult. However, in a search related to Shinoda, the pickaxe Shinoda bought from Masuda might be found. Also, there's the option of re-examining the investigative materials from when Yoneda went missing. Shouldn't we do that first?"

"Umu, I don't deny that. However, since we've already re-examined the materials from immediately after Yoneda disappeared, new materials will likely almost never emerge. Even for a search, as a basis for a search warrant for a person who is already dead, wouldn't a warrant not be issued unless there's a basis that Shinoda actually went to the murder site on the day Yoneda went missing, August 10th? In that case, I think we should consider what I just said as a method."

Indeed, what the Section Chief was saying was also quite logical. If there had been information linking Shinoda at the time of Yoneda's disappearance, things wouldn't have turned out like this in the first place. Even if it's fully possible as logic in reasoning, it's likely not at the level of having a judge issue a search warrant for a dead person. That said, it wasn't like Engaru Station had enough information accumulated to suddenly investigate Sada's case either. While they had the investigative materials they obtained at the investigative meetings, they couldn't be said to be of much help when Engaru Station moved independently. Because of this, Nishida felt a certain sympathy for the Section Chief's 'gamble,' but he couldn't reach full agreement and was agonizing over it.

As if unable to watch Nishida like that, the Section Chief threw him a lifeline.

"As expected, I think the quite tough wall of time of eight years stands in the way of Sada's case too. In fact, even the investigation at the time, though there were constraints from the 'Main Office,' ultimately hit a dead end. Since the flow from Yoneda's case to Sada's case hit a dead end, it might be armchair theory and simplistic to say we'll resolve Yoneda's case by resolving Sada's case instead."

The Section Chief had stood up at some point, both hands on the desk.

"However, we didn't know it then, but the fact that Kitagawa and Shinoda, who were transferees from the JNR, timing-wise played out a success story at the Isaka Group, where they transferred, without a clear reason, has become clear in the process of this investigation. That's different from back then."

"However, that Kitagawa is unconscious, and Shinoda is dead... Even if there's a possibility of recovery, it's a situation where indictment is quite difficult."

Kitamura's counter-argument was also a reasonable claim.

"So, it's Takeshita's story from earlier. First, isn't it worth investigating whether the bold hypothesis that Sada's disappearance and Yoneda's murder are directly linked is correct? It's a method of investigating starting from there. Maybe further involvement of another person will emerge from that side."

"In that case, it's not the Senior Staff's idea from earlier, but a re-investigation of the logging at the Ikutahara site, considering the possibility that Sada's body is near where Yoneda's body was buried?"

"Kurosu, that's right. Sada's body might still be there."

"Wait a minute."

Finally, Nishida, who had kept a long silence, entered the conversation.

"Yoshimi's accidental death, which was the trigger for this series of incidents... well, we haven't completely confirmed it as an accident, but ultimately it'll be resolved in that direction, and the six locations thought to have been dug up by Kitagawa that were found then... We've come this far with the idea that 'Kitagawa was digging up various places on the premise that the white birch was thick as a marker, unable to pinpoint the location of Yoneda's body.' However, considering the Section Chief's and Takeshita's ideas, is there no possibility that Sada's body was buried in one of those, and it had already been recovered by Kitagawa? The thick tree as a marker is of course a marker from when it was first buried, but as Forensics' Matsuzawa said during the recovery of Yoneda's body, it's also because it 'functions as fertilizer in the decomposition process of the body' that it becomes thick."

Nishida's opinion was about the possibility that 'the recovery of Sada's body' by Kitagawa had not been considered at all. If he hadn't been busy with the investigation, such an idea might have emerged, but because he was occupied, even such a thought hadn't come up.

"Ah, now that you mention it, that's also possible. If Kitagawa is involved in Sada's case, he'd at least remember the burial site to some extent..."

Sawai grimaced. If what Nishida thought—that Sada's body had already been recovered—had actually happened, then even if they re-investigated the site now, Sada's body wouldn't come out, and the 'link' between Yoneda's murder and Sada's disappearance would end as just reasoning.

"Wait a minute! Even so, we might at least be able to tell if Sada's body had been buried there!"

Takeshita suddenly opened his mouth.

"What, Takeshita. Do you have an idea?"

"Yes. Considering what the Forensics Senior Staff said 'at that time,' the body should have started decomposing after being buried, and it can be said that it started providing nutrients to the tree. If so, it means the tree started getting thick from that time. That sign should appear in the tree rings. If Sada had been buried at the site in the autumn eight years ago, then as tree rings, the thin black part from the autumn eight years ago to before the spring seven years ago would be thicker than the part from autumn to winter before that, and similarly, the growth part from spring to autumn would also be thicker. Such a change should be appearing. Therefore, even if the body had been recovered, we should at least be able to tell if it had been buried there."

When Takeshita finished speaking, the other investigators also seemed convinced, to the point that Kitamura involuntarily clapped his hands.

"Go call Forensics' Matsuzawa, Sawada! It's theoretically so, but let's hear a professional's opinion too! They should be free now anyway."

At the Section Chief's instruction, Sawada went to the forensics room to call Senior Staff Matsuzawa.

Apparently free as expected, Sawada immediately returned to the Detective Division with Senior Staff Matsuzawa. Matsuzawa didn't seem to have completely grasped the situation since he was brought suddenly, but with Takeshita's explanation, being a specialist, he understood immediately.

"What Takeshita says is certainly possible, Section Chief. In body disposal in forest areas, such things can sometimes be related to the clarification of an incident. Like investigating the match between the victim's disappearance time and the search request."

"Can you tell by looking?"

"Well, if we cut it and see if such an effect is appearing in the tree rings."

"Ah, so you really have to cut it to know... That's only natural, isn't it?"

The Section Chief lightly held his head. It had been discovered after the body search that the Ikutahara site was private land, but if they were to cut the white birch trees, they would likely need to obtain permission and 'compensation' at the same time. A detective wouldn't know what the 'market price' is, but even for white birch, which he'd never heard of as timber, cutting six trees would likely cost a fair amount.

When an investigation headquarters is set up at Engaru Station, it's customary for everything consumed within the station, including bento, to be paid for from the jurisdiction's budget, so Engaru Station must have already spent a considerable amount this time too. Since murder is a crime that almost never happens in Engaru, even if it's small-scale, the budget is quite eaten up when an investigation headquarters of that scale is set up. If they were to further cut a private individual's trees, it's certain the budget would be exceeded. Considering the Station Chief's grimace imagined when requesting the budget, Nishida could understand the Section Chief's 'anguish.'

"What should I do?"

The Section Chief seemed to have started turning his chair left and right to think, but money is something that even a detective on the scene can't do much about. They could 'pay out of pocket' in an emergency, but it would be tough even if divided among them if it's hundreds of thousands.

"Anyway, let's consult the Station Chief. Since we've come this far, we have no choice but to try!"

Takeshita urged the Section Chief, who remained in thought.

"It's just as Takeshita says. Shall we have a direct talk with the Station Chief... Nishida, come with me."

Sawai's mind was finally made up. As someone who was dragged into it, Nishida had some parts he couldn't quite accept, but it was also unavoidable.

Sawai and Nishida immediately went to the Station Chief's office to ask Station Chief Makita about the re-investigation of the site and the accompanying 'logging.' As expected, the Station Chief barked,

"Hey, hey, what are you thinking now!"

But the reason wasn't the budget problem, but a complaint about the change in investigative policy to focus on Sada's case. It seems the Station Chief was also concerned about the past circumstances where interference from the Main Office had occurred. When Sawai carefully explained the reason for the policy change, he seemed to have accepted that part itself.

"I roughly understand what you want to do. But I doubt there's a chance of winning? In the first place, even if traces of a body being buried are found, it's only to the extent of making the involvement of Kitagawa in Sada's murder more robust... So it's unreasonable to say we can immediately build a case against Kitagawa for Sada's murder with that..."

Makita also seemed to be agonizing quite a bit, but it was only natural to hesitate given his more responsible position.

"But if we stay like this, we'll be stuck, won't we?"

"Station Chief, I think it's quite tough at this point. To move forward even a little, even traces are better than nothing. Of course, it would be best if the body could be found."

Sawai answered firmly.

"Understood... Then try doing as you like! Either way, to search, we have to get permission from the landowner again, so we'll just have to ask him to make the compensation cheap then... When we searched last time, I thought it was state-owned land at first and searched without permission, so I ended up apologizing to the landowner, but the landowner was, if I recall..."

The Station Chief said as he rummaged through his desk drawer, remembering as he went, and soon found the paper with the landowner's information.

"There it is, there it is. That's right, it was Terakawa-san, a Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Asahikawa Cultural University. I'll try calling him now. With the status of Professor Emeritus, he's effectively retired, so he's probably at home."

The Station Chief said this and immediately made the call.

Even so, it was the first time Sawai and Nishida had heard that the landowner was a Professor Emeritus of English Literature. At that time, they had only heard the story that the Station Chief had apologized to the landowner. The unbalanced connection between the forest in Ikutahara and a Professor Emeritus seemed a bit strange to the two.

After the call was connected, Makita continued the conversation for a while, but in the latter half of the conversation, the two could tell he had a pleasant expression and the atmosphere was harmonious. In the midst of that, the Station Chief hung up.

"As you could probably tell if you were listening, not only did we get permission for the search, but regarding the logging, he said it's fine for free if it's absolutely necessary for a murder investigation. Apparently, white birch itself has almost no value as timber. However, if we're going to log, it might be necessary to log surrounding trees too, and he said he wants to wait until he returns to Ikutahara for Obon to see for himself before we do the search. He also wants to have his childhood friend who does local forestry in Ikutahara do the logging. Well, a cop is a rank amateur at mountain work anyway, so it's a godsend for us too. The re-investigation will be delayed a bit, but you guys have no objection, right?"

Makita's statement was not a bad story for the Detective Division either. Since it was Obon, and today was August 7th, the investigation might be delayed for about a week, but either way, in that amount of time, the Tanno female murders currently being pursued by the Kitami Regional Headquarters couldn't possibly be brought to a close, even if the culprit were arrested, considering the aftermath. In other words, there was no way they could return to this investigation. The situation where Engaru Station could conduct its own investigation wouldn't change much.

"So, specifically, will it be around the 15th?"

"He avoided a definitive answer at this point, but it'll be the 14th at the earliest and the 16th at the latest. Apparently, he's already disposed of the family home in Ikutahara after his father died, and only the grave remains. He said it's a tradition to stay at that childhood friend's house when he comes for the grave visit. He said he'll call when the schedule is decided, so we have no choice but to wait until then."

Makita answered Nishida's question while interjecting unnecessary information.

"Understood. We have no objection. Anyway, since unnecessary expenses were suppressed, it's strange to say this after it's thanks to the Station Chief, but we've avoided causing trouble for the Station Chief too."

Sawai expressed his gratitude.

"That's enough of that. By the way, what will you do if it's not clear from the tree rings?"

"That would also suggest that the body wasn't buried there, so we'd end up with a tactic of digging up various other places near where Yoneda was buried... Of course, we don't know if the body is buried there either. If we take the lack of clarity in a positive way, it means the body hadn't been recovered by Kitagawa."

"If it becomes a human-wave tactic, there's a limit for Engaru Station alone. And even if it's clear from the tree rings and we know the body was likely buried there in the past, like I said, it's no use without the 'actual item.' We've already searched everything related to Kitagawa, and even if he hid it somewhere, we wouldn't know, given his state..."

The Station Chief seemed to feel a light disappointment at Nishida's non-committal words, but for now, it was an investigation they had no choice but to do regardless of the consequences to get the conviction that Sada's disappearance was a murder case.

"Anyway, we've cleared the immediate hurdles for the re-search. I've been complaining, but come to think of it, from the discovery of Yoshimi's strange corpse to this point, it would have been absolutely impossible without your steady investigation, ideas, and strong luck... Regarding the investigation so far, it's no exaggeration to say it's thanks to our station's investigators rather than the help of the Kitami (Regional Headquarters) team. Thinking about it that way, coming this far and saying this and that beforehand is starting to feel meaningless, or rather, pointless... Maybe there's no way to break through other than to hit the things in front of us with all our might... To overcome the high wall later, your hard work will ultimately be needed again. It's also certain you have no choice but to work frantically. It can be said there's no point in agonizing over each thing. Understood. For now, try it! I'm counting on you two!"

Saying that much in one breath, the Station Chief lightly thrust his fist toward the two to encourage them.



While returning from the Station Chief's office to the Detective Division, Sawai spoke to Nishida.

"It's for a short while, but we have some leeway in time. We've been investigating almost without a break, so it might be good to put in a break for a short while."

"That's true. If it's okay with you, Section Chief, why don't we?"

"Alright, let's do that... The young guys are having a hard time, but you want to see your wife and daughter too, right? Has it been almost two months?"

"That's right... I went back for two days at the end of May, so I guess it's been that long... But even if I go back for a one-day break, it'll just be more tiring if it's a day trip, so if it's a break, I'll take it easy here."

"A single day is meaningless, huh... By the way, how old is your daughter?"

"She'll be eight this October, so she's seven now."

"What, she's at the age just one step before she starts avoiding her father. They only feel cute until about twelve. Once they're middle schoolers, they'll start avoiding their fathers. If you can't be spoiled by your daughter at this age, there's no point in even having a daughter."

Was it strangely persuasive because the Section Chief was a father of two daughters?

"But we're in frequent contact by phone."

"Phone? That's meaningless."

This wasn't the time to be exchanging such trivial 'differences of opinion,' and both knew it wasn't a conversation to be held in front of subordinates. They didn't develop the conversation further and opened the door to the Detective Division room.

"The Section Chief's permission is out! The logging matter has also been settled somehow. But unfortunately, it's a fly in the ointment that it can't be done immediately."

Sawai immediately reported to everyone.

"Heh. It was decided surprisingly easily."

When Takeshita rejoiced, Sawai smiled.

"I guess it's a case of 'fear is often greater than the danger'..."

"And one more thing, there's good news! Since we have a leeway of just under a week until the site investigation, we've decided to take turns taking breaks."

At this, Yoshimura rejoiced exaggeratedly and was lightly nudged by Nishida.

Then they decided on the order of taking breaks; the Section Chief and Komura were the shingari (rearguard), and Nishida and Kitamura were the group before them. It was a pity for Komura, who wasn't paired with the Section Chief, to be paired with him for the count. Since two of the three—Section Chief, Team Leader, and Senior Staff—couldn't be on break at the same time, and Mitsushima was given consideration because he was from the Kitami Regional Headquarters, the burden fell on Komura. And since it was impossible to go on break suddenly from the next day, the 8th, because of plans and such, they decided to take turns taking breaks over five days from the 9th to the 13th.



August 8th, 10:00 AM, Nishida was calling Shibata, the Forensics Senior Staff in Kitami. This was because when he tried to call Sanno Kanamono, the manufacturing and sales company in Sapporo printed on the handle of the pickaxe, to confirm if the manufacturing status of the pickaxe had changed year by year, he was asked for a product number. He had been naive to think there would be only one type of pickaxe as long as he knew the manufacturer.

According to the person in charge, it should be printed small under the company name, so he needed to confirm with Shibata, whom he had entrusted it to. Shibata seemed to be quite busy analyzing evidence seized from the high school girl murder scene, as he didn't answer the phone easily. Just as he was about to hang up and call back, a grumpy voice echoed from the receiver.

"Yes, Shibata here."

"Sorry for bothering you while you're busy. About that pickaxe I left with you yesterday, there's something I'd like you to check?"

"That pickaxe? What about it?"

"I want you to tell me the characters written on the sticker on the handle."

"Take a proper note of that kind of thing yesterday!"

It was a typical Shibata remark, but it was clear he was more irritated than usual. As expected, it seems he's quite busy shortly after the incident was discovered. Not only did the local news continue to treat it as top-class, but the national papers were also treating it as front-page news. And Nishida felt that the other forensics staff who had transferred him to Shibata were also somewhat prickly.

"Wait a minute! It'll take a few minutes!"

The sound of him putting down the receiver while putting it on hold also sounded rough, perhaps just in his mind.

However, it seemed to take less than a minute for Shibata to return to the receiver. He might have exaggerated with the spiteful remark.

"Found it. I don't know if it's Yama-ou or Sanno, but it says 'Mountain' and 'King' and 'Hardware.'"

"Apparently there's some alphabet and numbers written under that..."

"Umu, there certainly are. It says TH... 900."

"Ah, that's it. Thanks. Well, even so, it seems you're having a hard time..."

"Yeah, the investigation headquarters seems to be focusing on those with a history of rape, but there's nothing like that so far... If there's no history, it's going to be quite a pain, or rather, it's actually becoming one. The only residues are the semen left in the body and the pubic hair attached to the victim. We know it's Type B. A car was used in the crime, but since the site is a place where grass grows immediately from the paved road to the disposal site, no footprints or tire tracks have come out. The state of the grass apparently crushed by the car is also about the width of a general passenger car tire, so that's not a characteristic either. No clothes have been found either."

"The identity of the decomposed corpse isn't known yet, right?"

"Yeah, because the condition is quite bad. Identification by fingerprints is impossible, and I think they'll judge by dental records and blood type. So far, there's no one matching among the search requests within the Kitami Regional Headquarters jurisdiction. They're at the stage of collating with information from the entire Prefectural Police. Before the next victim comes out, the detectives have to work hard. Apparently, they've requested investigative cooperation from Abashiri Station in addition to Bihoro Station. If Engaru hadn't been carrying this case, wouldn't you have been made to cooperate?"

"Abashiri too... I understand the situation is quite tough. It seems more severe than the reports. However, the case here is also ongoing, so I don't want to interfere, but I think I'll take up a bit of your time..."

"I know, I know. Well, it's not like you're playing over there, so it can't be helped. Also, the appraisal report might take a bit of time, but forgive me given this state. More importantly, once you're done with your business, I want you to release me quickly. Is that okay?"

"I understand. Then I'll hang up."

Before Nishida could finish, the receiver was immediately clicked shut from the other side. Quietly putting down the receiver while rubbing his ear, Nishida immediately called Sanno Kanamono back and got the statement that they hadn't made any model changes since 1982. Also, he was able to confirm that they had been doing business with the home center Ester Homer since it was established in 1975, so they should have been supplying pickaxes all along. From this side too, the certainty of the match between Masuda's testimony, the pickaxe Shinoda took, and the wounds increased further.





From August 9th, the younger ones began taking breaks in order, so the air in the violent crimes team was somewhat less lively than usual, but like the 6th, Nishida was watching the broadcast of the 50th anniversary memorial ceremony for the Nagasaki atomic bombing. To such a Nishida, Takeshita spoke.

"It doesn't feel like something that happened only 50 years ago, does it?"

"That's true. 'Time flies like an arrow.' In other words, it means we can't afford to waste a single second for the investigation..."

Nishida didn't hide his dissatisfaction that while the base of the incident was becoming visible to some extent, the peak of the mountain was not yet in sight. Since the suspect is dead, it's a quite large hurdle, and at the same time, the enthusiasm of the police as a whole for the investigation has dropped, so it can't be helped...

"Come to think of it, the Yoshimi incident... no, accident; it's exactly two months today. Time flies here too, I guess... Even so, regarding that matter, since Kitagawa has become like that, I think it's better to draw a proper conclusion at this point."

At Takeshita's unexpected word, Nishida was startled. Had he really been investigating for two months already? Certainly, progress had been made, and while the 'peak' was visible for this one, the route leading to it was not clear. In other words, it was frustrating that the process leading to Yoshimi's death was not clear.

"That's true. The conclusion for Yoshimi's case should be accidental death, or rather, that's all there is. Kitagawa became like that, but he probably wasn't lying about that point. And it's clearly unreasonable to make it his crime since he has an alibi for the young Yoneda's case too. Even so, Yoshimi and Kitagawa must have been unlucky. If they hadn't met each other, they'd both be happy now..."

Indeed, if Yoshimi hadn't seen Kitagawa at the site, he wouldn't have panicked and fallen, whether he thought it was a ghost or a suspicious person. And if Yoshimi hadn't been there, even if Kitagawa couldn't have excavated and discovered Yoneda's body, the incident might not have been discovered. This is because the probability of it being found in the bone collection survey by the research group seemed actually much lower than what Kitagawa had likely feared beforehand.

Here, Nishida looked around the entire Detective Division room once. Because the detectives other than those in the violent crimes team were taking leave separately from the usual off-duty system, he even felt an illusion as if it were enveloped in silence. Nishida suddenly thought that the air in the entire Detective Division must be worlds apart from the Kitami Station and Kitami Regional Headquarters, which must be in a state of chaos. We should be carrying the same murder case, but there was a lack of tension. The daytime temperature was also fresher and more comfortable than for a time, which could be said to be a sign that the arrival of autumn was subtly approaching. Only the busy sound of cicadas chirping outside made Nishida feel the height of summer.

After the conversation with Takeshita, the Section Chief ordered the detectives, who were bored with nothing to do, to review the investigation so far, including Sada's disappearance, but it couldn't be denied that it was synonymous with just killing time. In the afternoon, when the heat had taken a break, the sound of paper being turned—a pasa sound—echoed loudly when Nishida and the others were reading through the investigative materials.



While spending such a somewhat lazy time, a message came from the Station Chief. The schedule for the landowner Terakawa's visit to Ikutahara had been decided, according to a call from the man himself. He would arrive in Ikutahara on the 13th and return to Asahikawa on the 17th. Since the 15th was taken up by the grave visit, any day other than the 15th and 17th would be fine. The 13th overlapped with the Section Chief's and Komura's break, but since searching the site on the day he arrived would be a bother for Terakawa, the Engaru Station and Terakawa reached an agreement to make it the 16th, and the schedule for the forensics members who would participate was also arranged. With this, it could be said that the foundation for the best investigation Engaru Station could do now was set. However, only the noisy cicadas outside might have been able to predict that after the investigation, it would be a period of turmoil quite different from these quiet few days.



On the afternoon of August 10th, Nishida began to think about going to Sapporo on the night train on the 11th, doing some family service during his holiday on the 12th, and returning to Engaru on the night train that same night to go straight to work. At first, he had considered spending his break in Engaru, disliking a busy schedule, but he was changing his mind because he heard from his wife on the phone that his daughter was somewhat dissatisfied with him being here all the time. It wasn't the conversation with the Section Chief, but he also thought that communicating with his daughter while she still wanted him was part of fulfilling his duty as a father. However, sleeping on the night train for consecutive days would be physically tough for Nishida, who had just stepped into middle age at 39, and he was lost in thought while looking at the timetable.

"Team Leader, a call came from the reception downstairs; apparently that 'Okuda Mitsuru' requested an interview with the Team Leader and has come here directly?"

Kurosu, who had received the internal call, suddenly spoke to Nishida.

"Okuda? Ah... yes, yes. Old man Okuda, huh... Even so, what is it all of a sudden? To come directly to the station."

Nishida tilted his head. The Section Chief also stared here to confirm.

"Okuda came here?"

"Yes. I don't know the reason, but he's at the reception. Anyway, I'll go meet him downstairs for a bit."

He went to call Kitamura, who had gone to the restroom, and hurried to the reception on the first floor. It didn't take long for the two to find Okuda sitting on a long bench by the reception.

Nishida called out first as he approached.

"Okuda-san, thank you for the other day. Even so, did something happen today? To come all the way from Kunneppu to here?"

"No, no, weren't you busy yourself?"

Okuda, with legs and a back that were firm for his age, stood up from the bench as soon as he noticed Nishida and the others.

"We've happened to be quite free for the past few days, so that's fine, but..."

Nishida wore a polite smile while lightly probing Okuda's state.

"Is that so. Then that's good. Actually, I didn't intend to come."

It had only been about ten days since he visited on July 29th, but he felt a bit of nostalgia, perhaps because he had been busy lately since Shinoda's existence became clear.

"No, you see, today I happened to visit a relative in Shirataki (Author's Note: In 1995, the former Shirataki Village. Currently the Shirataki district of Engaru Town) with my wife from the morning, and I stopped by on the way back. There was something that caught my attention regarding that matter, and though I thought it might be a bother, I pass through Engaru on the way back, so I just stopped by directly."

Okuda spoke as briskly as ever.

"Something caught your attention about the case?"

Nishida suddenly became serious, as he didn't expect much from others but had been greatly helped twice by Okuda in this case.

"Yeah, that's right. Last time you came to my house, was it Kitamura-san? You guys asked me something like 'Was there anything that caught your attention during the bone collection back then?' right?"

Kitamura, who was suddenly addressed, had a blank expression for a moment, but immediately replied.

"Now that you mention it, I did ask you to confirm that."

"And at that time, I couldn't remember it at all, but on the way back from that relative today, a guy who was my subordinate and colleague in the JNR days lives in Maruseppu (In 1995, the former Maruseppu Town. Currently the Maruseppu district of Engaru Town) now, and since there was something that caught my attention, I stopped by there on the way, precisely because it was on the way."

Nishida thought Okuda's story might be long, so he said,

"Since this isn't the place, we have a sofa in the Detective Division, so let's talk while sitting there. I'll at least get you some tea. By the way, where's your wife who was with you?"

When he asked, Okuda replied,

"My wife, I left her at a coffee shop in front of the station. If I make her sit through a story that has nothing to do with her, she'll grumble about it later. I'll go pick her up when this story is over. Oh, I parked my car in the parking lot here; I won't get a 'ticket' or anything, will I?"

He confirmed with a bit of anxiety.

"The Detective Division is one thing, but the Traffic Division is a bunch of money-grubbers, so I can't guarantee it."

Kitamura joked with a serious face.

"That's bad. Do even the patrol cars get fined here?"

Okuda, perhaps understanding the intent, went along with Kitamura's joke. However, Nishida cut off the flow of the playful conversation and said,

"Come, I'll guide you upstairs."

He took the lead toward the Detective Division room.

When Kurosu served tea and simple tea cakes to Okuda, who had settled into the sofa, Okuda resumed the story after just one sip of tea.

"Continuing the story, I told you I went to see that colleague in Maruseppu, right? And since my memory wasn't clear either, I heard the story from him just in case. Truly, I should have probably heard from (Tanaka) Kiyoshi or someone, but because of my promise with the detectives, I'd decided to keep quiet about Kitagawa's matter, and I avoided him because I might let something slip..."

Okuda apparently doesn't know yet that Kitagawa was arrested and fell unconscious. Tanaka might not have told him, or hadn't had the chance. At the same time, Nishida was inwardly grateful to Okuda for being so faithful to them.

"That colleague in Maruseppu is named Asada, ah, he's listed on that copy you guys have, and I told you his current situation last time, but I was talking with that Asada about 'what happened back then,' as a trip down memory lane."

"Wait a minute. I'll bring that copy."

Nishida said this, took the copy from his desk drawer, and spread it on the table between the sofas.

"This one, this one."

Okuda said this and pointed to the part with Asada's name on the list. He certainly seemed to have belonged to the same work crew as Tanaka, Okuda, Kitagawa, and Shinoda.

"That Asada also remembered, but it was exactly around July of (Showa) 52, about a month after the bone collection started; there was a bit of an incident."

"An incident?"

"Nishida-san, yes, an incident. They should have had Engaru Station come out too. To be precise, apparently they had them come. Right at that time, I'd dropped a hammer while doing track maintenance and had a light injury to my foot. I hadn't taken off work, but since participation in the bone collection is voluntary, it was a time when I wasn't joining in the collection. That's why I only heard that story later at the time. So it hadn't left a strong impression on me. That's probably why my memory was vague. Well, whether I could have answered suddenly when asked by Kitamura-san is another story, though..."

"Hurry up and tell us the content of that incident."

Kitamura, who had lost his patience, spoke in a way that suggested he couldn't hide his irritation even while laughing.

"Now, now, Kitamura-san, don't rush an old man like that."

Okuda said this, ate a tea cake, and washed it down with tea, then began to speak totsutotsu (haltingly) again. Watching this, Nishida and Kitamura fell into an illusion as if they were just talking to an old man they knew, rather than an important witness.

"According to Asada's story, it was about a month after the collection started, so around mid-July of Showa 52, but while Shinoda, Kitagawa, and one other guy—Tanemura, who's of the same generation and is also on that paper, yes, like I said when I was asked about the attendees the other day, he's still in the JR—while they were searching for bones around there, they found two large stones sticking out of the ground in an unnatural way, side by side. It was exactly like they were gravestones, is the story. So, thinking that maybe some tako-beya laborers were buried there, they dug, and as expected, two old-looking full skeletons came out. Their appearance was also in a state where they had something like gaiters wrapped around them, and they didn't seem like the clothes of at least that near era, according to him. However, if you think about it, you'll understand, but in the case of tako-beya laborers, even when they're buried, they're really just buried haphazardly, or rather, just thrown into a hole that was dug. The maintenance district chief who was on the scene felt it was unnatural that they were buried so properly. So he reported it to the police just in case. The jurisdiction also happened to be this same Engaru Station."

"Wait a minute! Shinoda, from what I've heard from Okuda-san and various others, doesn't give the impression of being a particularly good person, but did a guy like that seriously participate in the bone collection too?"

Nishida voiced a simple doubt.

"He wasn't a 'good guy,' but he wasn't so bad you couldn't associate with him, in my opinion. And no matter how much it was said to be voluntary participation, I recall the atmosphere was such that the young guys couldn't slack off... You know, the kind of thing where it's supposed to be free but is actually forced... Either way, they were collecting with a ratio of about half to a third of the total off-duty personnel of each maintenance crew, so the overall attendance rate should have been quite high. Including middle-aged and older guys like us back then."

"I see, I understand. So, do you know what happened after Engaru Station rushed to the scene?"

Nishida tried to move the story forward for now, having been satisfied.

"Apparently while the police were there investigating various things, another old skeletal body was found nearby. That one didn't have anything like a gravestone, and the situation when it was discovered was also that it felt like it was buried quite haphazardly, according to what the detective who came to the scene said. Also, among the ones that were buried properly, one of them, and the one that was buried haphazardly, had traces of a depression in the skull. It wasn't clear if that wound was from an accident or an incident. So, your 'predecessor' must have judged there was no foul play."

"In other words, to confirm, there were three skeletal corpses in total, and two of them had traces of depressions in the skull. Furthermore, one of them was buried haphazardly?"

"I think it's fine to say that."

Okuda's tone wasn't very confident in response to Nishida's question, since he hadn't seen it himself.

"So, what happened in the end?"

Kitamura was more rushed than usual this time.

"In the end, since it wasn't clear if it was an incident or an accident, and even if it were an incident, it was clearly past the statute of limitations, so wasn't it just left as is? Asada also said he didn't know what happened after the maintenance district was told by the police that the investigation was closed for those two reasons. If it had been an incident, it would have made more of a fuss, right? Well, since it's like this, I don't think it'll be of use to you two, but I thought it would be better to tell you just in case."

Honestly, Nishida didn't know how much meaning this story of Okuda's had at this time, but he had to be frankly grateful for Okuda's kindness in caring about such things.

"Not at all. Truly, thank you as always. Even today, you went to the trouble of talking to an acquaintance to confirm, and stopped by here, even giving us a valuable story from back then."

Nishida lined up polite words of appreciation.

"No, no, Nishida-san. I'm just a bored old man. If I can be of use to others, that's also good. Whether it's actually useful or not."

"At this point, I don't quite know if it'll be related to anything, but please tell me if anything else comes up! Even for the current case, Okuda-san's testimony is actually playing a quite large role!"

"Nishida-san, do you really think so? That's pleasing. To be praised by a professional detective."

Okuda smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes, but said,

"Oops, is it this time... I can't keep my wife waiting forever. She'll grumble at me again. I've finished saying what I wanted to convey, so I'll call you again if I find out anything else."

Saying that, he stood up from his seat.

"Sorry for not being able to offer much hospitality."

Nishida said this as he and Kitamura followed after Okuda and went to the entrance to see him off.



"He came in a flash and left in a flash. Well, we'll probably see him again..."

Kitamura was watching Okuda's car leave while waving. However, without even a moment to soak in the afterglow,

"By the way, do we have investigative materials from around Showa 52?"

Nishida suddenly spoke.

"Eh? About that matter? In the judgment at the time, it wasn't an incident, right? For materials like that, if they're that old, they'd normally have been disposed of."

"As I thought..."

Nishida wore a grim expression at his subordinate's natural words.

"Are you curious?"

As if being considerate of his superior, Kitamura peered in from the side.

"Of course, I think it's likely unrelated, but since Shinoda and Kitagawa were involved, and furthermore it's close to the Yoneda murder site, I have a desire to check it out just in case. Besides, even if it wasn't prosecuted, apparently there are unnatural points in the state of the bodies, and something is bothering me..."

"I see. Confirming what can be confirmed. That's an ironclad rule of investigation, isn't it? Especially since information is scarce."

Kitamura said as if pulling himself together, then turned back toward the station building. Nishida followed, slowly returning inside.



"What was the story?"

When Nishida and Kitamura returned, the Section Chief looked up from the evening paper he was reading and asked first thing.

"When we interviewed him the other day, Kitamura asked Okuda, 'Was there anything during the bone collection or memorial ceremonies?' At that time, nothing seemed to come to mind, but later something that caught his attention occurred to him, and today when he happened to meet a colleague from his JNR days, he confirmed it and remembered a story about a certain incident involving Kitagawa and Shinoda."

The Section Chief, after hearing Nishida's roundabout explanation, confirmed somewhat diplomatically.

"What was this 'certain incident'?"

"Apparently during the bone collection, the two discovered two unidentified skeletal remains, and it became a police matter. Furthermore, in the investigation immediately after, another one came out from near the site and caused a stir. However, in the end, it wasn't clear if it was foul play, and since it was clearly past the statute of limitations based on the state of the bodies, it wasn't prosecuted."

"Ho, such a thing happened."

Sawai seemed to have become more interested than before.

"Section Chief, how long do we keep old investigative materials? We have things from about ten years ago in the Detective Division, but these are from Showa 52, so they're from before that."

"If it's not here, it's not anywhere, is it? I don't know the whereabouts of things that aren't here. Do you want to try investigating that story?"

"Yeah, I'm curious after all. If they're not there, it can't be helped... Besides, since it's an incident that wasn't prosecuted, I guess they've been disposed of, after all?"

Nishida's face was slightly distorted.

"It's likely a lost cause. Unfortunately."

The Section Chief delivered the final blow and began reading the evening paper again.

Meanwhile, Komura, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, said,

"Team Leader. About a year ago, I had a chance to enter the underground warehouse managed by the General Affairs Section (Author's Note: Equivalent to the so-called general affairs section in a station), and I recall there were reports regarding incidents from the Showa 40s. Along with evidence and such. Since it wasn't prosecuted, it might be a lost cause like the Section Chief says, but it might be worth searching."

He gave information that was a ray of light.

"I see! The General Affairs Section warehouse, huh. Thank you. It seems worth asking..."

Nishida said that and headed downstairs again to the General Affairs Section. Kitamura followed.



"Excuse me for a moment!"

When Nishida raised his voice, a female staff member from the General Affairs Section responded.

"I want to check if there are old investigative materials in the warehouse?"

"Understood. Section Chief! Team Leader Nishida from the Detective Division wants to know if there are old investigative materials in the warehouse."

Section Chief Tasaka, who had already been glancing over when Nishida asked, stood up as if he'd been waiting and came over to the two.

"Nishida, about how many years ago are these old investigative materials?"

"Showa 52 (1977)."

"52!? As expected... For that era, there are some that are there and some that aren't."

"And apparently it wasn't prosecuted."

"Not prosecuted? Then the hope is extremely thin... Even so, an incident that wasn't prosecuted, and since even murder would be past the statute of limitations, is there a need to investigate it now? What kind of incident is it?"

"To put it strongly, there was a possibility of murder or body abandonment, but apparently the statute of limitations was definitely involved at that point, and since they didn't quite know if it was murder, they couldn't prosecute."

"Hmm, I don't quite get it, but from what I hear, it was a reasonably big incident... In that case, maybe it's there... Hey, someone bring the key to the warehouse!"

Tasaka called out to a subordinate, received the key, and said,

"I have nothing to do, so shall we try searching now? According to Sawai, it's been unusually free lately, so you guys have time, right?"

"We happened to have time, so it's a godsend."

Nishida said with a smile and followed Tasaka with Kitamura.

The warehouse Tasaka guided them to was in the basement as Komura said, but it didn't have as much space as he had expected, and was mostly occupied by supplies and such. At first glance, it didn't seem like a space where investigative materials would be. However, it was quite neatly organized, and he even felt that if the target materials were there, they might be found quite easily.

"I feel like the old investigative materials were around here."

While Tasaka was rummaging through the cardboard boxes on the metal rack at the very back, Nishida and Kitamura also began to help to the extent of not messing up the organized items. Then, without much time passing, Tasaka raised his voice.

"Oh, found something... The one on top is materials from Showa 47, so if they're here, I don't think I'm wrong about this area."

Tasaka placed the cardboard box on the floor and pointed while taking out the contents.

"Is this what Komura was talking about earlier?"

Nishida also crouched down and picked up the materials. Indeed, there were materials regarding a robbery-murder from Showa 47, and several items that seemed to be the murder weapon, like a kitchen knife, were in plastic bags inside the cardboard box. They were likely among the items that didn't need to be returned to the victim and were kept. Looking briefly at the report on the investigative process, it seemed to be a case that was ultimately decided with 15 years of imprisonment.

"It seems reasonably large incidents are kept."

"I think it's as Kitamura says. Since there aren't many heinous crimes here, things regarding such big cases might be kept. However, the one we're looking for wasn't prosecuted..."

Nishida sighed.

"Anyway, if we turn over all the cardboard boxes here and they're not there, you can just give up then, right? You guys are the ones who said you wanted to search anyway, so it's a bother to be told that now."

Tasaka became a bit grumpy.

"That's true..."

Nishida offered a brief word of reflection and began moving his hands again. For cases with many pieces of evidence, it was one case per one or two cardboard boxes, but for cases with little or small evidence, multiple cases were grouped into one cardboard box. He sorted them carefully with Kitamura's help. Tasaka focused on the role of taking the cardboard boxes down from the rack.

After about 20 minutes had passed since they started the work, Kitamura, who was investigating the reports, said,

"Isn't it this!"

And suddenly stood up from his crouched position on the floor. Seeing that, Nishida also stood up and snatched the report from Kitamura to check the contents.

"This is it! No mistake. 'Investigation started on Thursday, July 14, Showa 52; contact from JNR staff, confirmed 3 sets of remains (skeletal remains).' Even so, I'm surprised it remained!"

He couldn't help but voice his admiration. Tasaka also peered in from beside Nishida.

"You guys are lucky. Normally there's nothing like this, where even the statute of limitations had passed at the time of discovery. Conversely, it's a feat possible precisely because there are few cases."

It was a somewhat self-deprecating statement, but the two also thought what Tasaka said was actually correct.

"Evidence like the clothes and items the bodies were wearing are also in here."

Kitamura lifted the cardboard box next to him and showed the contents to Nishida. Indeed, though they were soiled with dirt, there were things that seemed to be clothes in multiple plastic bags, and on the plastic bags, 'July 14, Showa 52: Unidentified Body Clothing Items' was written in marker.

"Not just the investigative report, but the evidence remained too."

Nishida picked up one of the plastic bags containing clothes and brushed off the dust that had lightly accumulated on the bag. Since the lid of the cardboard box had been closed, the inside was relatively clean. However, the cardboard box itself had dirt and spider webs, and the passage of years could not be hidden.

"It's no use looking at it here, right? Why don't you check it properly back in the Detective Division? I can't stay with you forever either."

At Tasaka's suggestion, the two also nodded. Kitamura carried two cardboard boxes and Nishida carried one out of the warehouse, parted with Tasaka in front of the General Affairs Section, and returned to the Detective Division.

When Nishida, who was carrying only one box, opened the door to the Detective Division room, Takeshita spoke first.

"Eh? Did you find what you were looking for!?"

It was a reaction from someone who hadn't considered for a moment that it would remain.

"Yeah, luckily various things remained."

Nishida replied proudly. Sawai, who had been reading the evening paper, also stood up and approached Nishida upon hearing the conversation.

"You found it! Here, let me see."

"This is it."

Nishida and Kitamura placed the cardboard boxes on the desk and showed the materials they took out. Sawai, who took the report and flipped through it and peered at the evidence, said,

"I don't know if I should thank the senior detectives for keeping it even though it wasn't prosecuted, or if it was just left there by chance..."

"Section Chief Tasaka also said it's because Engaru Station doesn't have many incidents."

When Nishida said it jokingly, Sawai gave a wry smile.

"I know that without being told."

Takeshita, along with Komura, Sawada, Kurosu, and Mitsushima, also picked up various things to look at, but they showed more interest in the report than the evidence. They seemed more curious about the format of the old report than the content. As a practical matter, there was almost no change in the way it was written, and to Nishida, they seemed disappointed. However, Nishida wasn't patient enough to stay with his subordinates' sightseeing forever.

"Hey, is that enough? I want to check the details quickly."

Nishida spoke somewhat threateningly, and while they weren't intimidated, each returned to their own desk. Then Nishida placed the investigative report on his desk and began checking the details. Kitamura also took the other report and sat down.



Around 1:00 PM, July 14, Showa 52, near 300m toward Ikutahara from the Jomon Tunnel on the JNR Sekihoku Main Line in Ikutahara Town, three off-duty JNR staff (Kitagawa Tomoyuki, Shinoda Michiyoshi, Tanemura Masatoshi) accidentally discovered two skeletal remains while collecting the remains of tako-beya laborers for a memorial service. They contacted the JNR maintenance district by radio. Upon receiving the report from the maintenance district, Engaru Station's Detective Division and Forensics rushed to the scene. During the confirmation of the bodies (judged to be both male at this point) and the search of the surrounding area, another male skeletal body was excavated from right next to the discovery site of the bodies around 4:30 PM. From the proximity of the location and the state of the bodies, it was speculated that it was buried around the same time as the previous two. The possibility of a murder case was considered, and setting up an investigation headquarters was also considered, but since it was certain that the burial was from a long time ago and the statute of limitations was involved, and further verification was needed as to whether the cause of death was due to a harmful act, it was decided to continue the investigation in its current form for the time being.

According to the testimony of the three who discovered the first two bodies, "Two large stones were standing side by side near the stream, and since they didn't seem to be in a natural state, we speculated they might be the burial sites of tako-beya labor victims. When we dug, we discovered one skeletal body from each."

According to the subsequent appraisal by Forensics and the Kitami Regional Headquarters SIL, one was a male in his 40s to 60s, about 160cm tall, cause of death unknown. The other was a male in his 20s to 40s, about 165cm tall, and since there were traces of a depressed fracture in the head of the body, it is highly likely that was the cause of death. However, it is unknown whether the depression was due to an accident or was man-made. It was clear at a glance that both bodies had passed many years, and looking at the clothes, at the start of the investigation, it was seen as highly likely to be from before the war to around the Showa 30s.



The above was recorded first.

There were also photos of each body (skeletal remains), and especially looking at the photo of the body named 'A,' presumed to be middle-aged to elderly, there was an enlarged part of the lower jaw, and a gold tooth was visible in the front tooth area. Nishida wasn't an expert on dentistry, but since it was a gold tooth from a quite old era, he read from it that the person might have been quite wealthy. In the report, it also said, "As a result of reference interviews with dental professionals, it is thought that a quite high amount of money was incurred for the time, and it is speculated that the person had considerable economic leeway at the time, or was a person who previously had economic leeway."

Nishida thought that if it were a victim of tako-beya labor, such a thing wouldn't have happened, but looking at the continuation of the report, it said, "Apparently there were occasionally wealthy people among tako-beya laborers who had fallen on hard times," and it seems that alone didn't become a material to deny being a victim of tako-beya labor even back then. Also, it was written, "The fact that they were buried properly stood out from the haphazard treatment of many tako-beya labor victims, but since the other skeletal body discovered by the police investigation, which will be reported in detail later, was buried quite haphazardly, it doesn't go as far as denying it on the premise that the three cases are related." The report for that one was currently being read thoroughly by Kitamura, so Nishida decided to save the details for later.

The other skeletal remains, presumed to be of a younger person, were named 'B,' but regarding the head depression of B, the expression was "thought to be due to a blunt instrument or the fall of a heavy object." It was "a damage fully worthy of a fatal wound, but it is impossible to definitively conclude whether it was an accident or an incident, and the object cannot be identified either," which seems to have been the final conclusion after all. Looking at the photo, it was a considerable depression, and Nishida speculated it might be a large stone-like object, whether it was a blow from a blunt instrument or something falling.

Looking at the photo of the overall figure of A, he was in a hanten and patchi (leggings), and inside he apparently wore a fundoshi and a cotton shirt. The photo of B showed almost the same clothes, but he had a piece of patterned cloth attached from the lower arm to the back of the hand. In the investigation at the time, that cloth was "an Ainu traditional craft, called a tekunpe," and was a type of "hand guard" used for protecting the hands during rituals or mountain walks. From this, the idea that B was an "Ainu" also emerged, but there were no other items worn that evoked the Ainu, and the small knife B had was a normal design, whereas if he were Ainu, the handle should have had unique decorations (a small knife or mountain knife called a makiri or tashiro), so it seems they couldn't conclude whether he was a Wajin (non-Ainu Japanese) or Ainu either.

Nishida looked away from the report for a moment, opened the cardboard box of evidence, and confirmed the clothes and items worn by A and B in the plastic bags. Because they had been buried in the soil for a long time, they were quite soiled, but they seemed to have been preserved reasonably well. For the cloth called 'tekunpe,' the unique Ainu pattern was identifiable even with the soil.

(Tekunpe reference: http://www.minpaku.ac.jp/research/sc/teacher/minpack/aynu/05)

Starting to read the report again, a sentence that caught Nishida's attention entered his eyes. It said that a pipe and a box of kizami tobacco (Author's Note: Tobacco leaves cut finely to be stuffed into a pipe) were buried as offerings in a tin with A and B respectively. They were likely seen as 'offerings.' Some of the contents had been taken out, but it seems nearly half remained in both. Since they were in a tin, they seem to have been in decent condition. If they had been buried directly in the soil, they would have rotted. The brand of the kizami tobacco was apparently 'Fukien' for both. According to a search by the then Monopoly Bureau (Author's Note: Predecessor of the current JT), that brand existed from 1908 to 1944, just before the end of the war (Author's Note: Both brand and period are historically accurate), and this again apparently had too wide a range for identifying the era.

(Fukien and kizami tobacco reference: http://ameblo.jp/jibikiya/entry-10225146287.html)

In such a situation, considering the period of existence of the kizami tobacco brand, it seems they could at least confirm that the burial was before the war. However, it was the opinion of the investigators at the time that it was impossible to pinpoint the burial period or the period when A and B were alive beyond that. And, they couldn't identify whether A's death was natural, or whether B's death was accidental or due to a harmful act by another, and the statute of limitations was also involved, so the conclusion was that they didn't, or couldn't, prosecute.

Also, regarding the identification of the victims, they tried collating with the missing person registry within the Kitami Regional Headquarters as far back as they could, but there was a limit to the passage of years and they couldn't do it. The land in question was private land, but the landowner apparently testified that he had no idea either. The name of the landowner interviewed was Terakawa Matsunosuke, and Nishida guessed he was likely a parent or other relative of Terakawa Daisuke, whom the Station Chief had asked for search permission.

By the time Nishida finished reading, Kitamura had already finished and was waiting for Nishida. Without daring to ask each other anything, they exchanged reports, and this time Nishida began to look at the report regarding 'C,' the skeletal remains discovered from beside the two.

'C,' discovered after the search at the site started, was discovered about 2m away from the place where the two were buried almost side by side, and unlike the two, there was no corresponding gravestone, no clothes, and it was recorded that it was buried in a quite haphazard way. In fact, in the photo of the whole thing at the site, it was clear that the limbs of the body were buried in a disorganized way, and Nishida also got the impression that it was likely "thrown into" the hole that was dug. Also, it seems no buried items were found. This point gave a certain basis to the theory of being a "victim of tako-beya labor." However, it wasn't enough to be definitive, and the investigators at the time apparently also puzzled over whether the proximity of the burial site was just a coincidence or due to some relationship with the two.

And, the estimated age of C was in the 20s to 40s like B, and the height was around 170cm, which Nishida thought was quite high for before the war. The cause of death was a depressed fracture of the head like B, but looking at the photo, it was clearly more severe than A. Specifically, multiple depression traces were seen in the enlarged photo of the affected area. From this and the fact that the way of burial was clearly different from B, it was natural that the investigators at the time had the conviction at an early stage that it was likely murder or injury resulting in death. However, this one was also passed over for prosecution purely due to the statute of limitations. Also, like A and B, the victim could not be identified. Ultimately, the three bodies were skeletal, but they were properly cremated and apparently entrusted to 'Koan-ji' in Ikutahara Town, the place of discovery, as muen-botoke (unclaimed deceased).

Koan-ji is about a five-minute walk from Ikutahara Station and is the oldest temple in Ikutahara. Nishida was also acquainted with the head priest because he served as a member of the Police Station Council (to explain briefly, a council of representatives of local residents and the police station), even if he didn't know how much the priest recognized Nishida. Among the surrounding people, he seemed to be rumored to be a person of character, highly evaluated, unlike many monks who are ridiculed as 'funeral Buddhists' or 'corrupt monks' in modern times.

However, it was only at this point that Nishida noticed something. That the head priest who attended to perform the memorial service at that ceremony was likely different from the current head priest, 'Matsuno Ma-yasu.' Perhaps because he hadn't noticed that while looking at the ceremony booklet until now, or at least he hadn't consciously confirmed the attendees from Koan-ji.

Checking the booklet after taking it out from the drawer, the attendees from Koan-ji at the time were indeed the head priest 'Okada Soushin' and the monk 'Okada Koryu,' and he thought Koryu was likely the same person as the current head priest of 'Ko-on-ji' in Engaru, 'Okada Koryu.' Okada Koryu was also a member of the Police Station Council. In any case, Nishida thought these two were father and son. And he thought the current head priest Matsuno was a monk who came to succeed the position for some reason, likely with no direct blood relation to the two. In any case, he would have to confirm this point with Head Priest Okada of Ko-on-ji in Engaru eventually.

Nishida closed the materials after thinking that far, but this time the amount of content was less for Nishida, so he finished reading before Kitamura. What Nishida could say at this point was that the senior detectives of the Engaru Station back then had investigated "properly" despite it being a "case" where the statute of limitations was already likely at the start of the investigation. It might be because they were "free" just like "now," but since Nishida knew from experience that quite sloppy investigations were done by staff of rural police, he even wanted to express respect for the quite careful investigation and survey. It even seemed to Nishida that they might have wanted to leave the regret of not being able to clarify the truth despite the deaths of three people to posterity, rather than the materials of the case that wasn't prosecuted being left "by chance."

After a while, Kitamura also finished reading, so Nishida asked for his impressions.

"It's a mysterious incident. If it weren't past the statute of limitations, I'd want to investigate it thoroughly just to resolve it, rather than for the purpose of catching a criminal."

"True. But if you think about it, if the culprit of the Yoneda murder we're chasing now is also Shinoda, he's already dead, so in the sense that we can't catch him, what we're doing might be the same as what Kitamura said..."

"Now that you mention it, that might be so."

Kitamura said as if chewing on the thought.

"Hey! Don't get lost in sentiment, you two; if you've finished reading, report how it was!"

Nishida, brought back to reality by Sawai's low, echoing voice, reported,

"Section Chief, first of all, I think it's fine to say it's unrelated to the current case, unfortunately... It's just that there happened to be an incident that the current Kitagawa and Shinoda were involved in in the past. And only purely as the 'discoverers' of the bodies."

"I see... That's disappointing, though expected... Still, it seems like an interesting incident, so I think I'll have a look at it myself."

Sawai, perhaps free after finishing the evening paper, tucked the two investigative reports under his arm as if snatching them from Nishida and Kitamura, took them to his seat, and began reading silently.

After being absorbed in reading for about 30 minutes, Sawai returned the two volumes to the cardboard box and said,

"Near that site, there were originally two nameless 'grave markers' standing; that's how it is, two of them."

He repeated "two." Hearing that, the expression "Remote Grave Marker," which Sawai had used before in front of the monument using the word "remote" that Nishida had said, suddenly flickered through Nishida's mind.



August 11th, 7:30 AM, while a light rain was drizzling from the morning, Nishida shook the rain off his umbrella and closed it in front of the station entrance, then hurried inside. However, immediately after, he was stopped by Officer Takada from the Traffic Division.

"Team Leader Nishida, things have become serious, haven't they?"

"!?"

Unable to understand Takada's statement, Nishida wore a puzzled expression.

"Did you see the newspaper? Today's Doho."

"I live alone, so I don't take the newspaper at home here. I wonder if I should take it after all?"

There was no point in asking someone else such a thing, but since he couldn't just ask what was in it, he had unintentionally made a meaningless statement.

"Oh... You should take it, really. ...No, no, that kind of talk doesn't matter! You should look quickly. Because things have become serious."

Takada almost got caught up in Nishida's talk for a moment, but immediately returned to the subject, and as he was told, Nishida hurried to the Detective Division room.

When he opened the door, the Section Chief, who usually came later than Nishida, was already there. His subordinates other than Takeshita and Mitsushima, who were off today, and Kitamura, who hadn't arrived from Kitami yet, were also already gathered, including the night shift team. Had they rushed here after seeing something in the newspaper like Takada? And before Nishida could call out,

"Hey, Nishida, look at this! You don't take the paper, so you haven't seen it, right?"

Section Chief Sawai thrust out a rolled-up morning paper. Nishida received it without hesitation and opened the rolled paper. Then, a group of intense characters on the front page appeared before him.

'Hokkaido Prefectural Police Arrests Innocent Person on Separate Charge. Unconscious During Interrogation'

Nishida involuntarily widened his eyes.

"What is this!"

"They went and did a front-page scoop. They got us... It wasn't like it hadn't crossed my mind at all, but it really stings when they actually do it..."

The Section Chief lightly tapped the desk with his fist. While watching that, Nishida tried to grasp the content of the article properly.

It started with the opening, "It has been learned that at the Kitami Police Station, after a suspect in a murder case was arrested on a separate charge for a traffic accident, the detention was continued even after his innocence regarding the murder was confirmed, and the suspect subsequently fell unconscious during interrogation," and it went through the flow where Kitagawa was arrested on July 25th, claimed an alibi on July 29th which was established, then fell unconscious on August 1st and remains hospitalized and unconscious.

However, the charge for which Kitagawa was arrested on a separate charge was only described as a "traffic accident," making it look as if it were a separate-charge arrest for a minor incident. Even if it was a separate-charge arrest, it was a fact that it was a drunk driving accident fully worthy of arrest in general. And, things advantageous to the police and disadvantageous to Kitagawa—such as the fact that even if the alibi for the murder was established, there was a need to continue questioning because he had stolen a camera from a corpse and his connection to the series of incidents was suspected—were not clearly written, making it an article where the police were unilaterally the "bad guys."

When Nishida finished reading to the end, he let out a large sigh.

"Even if Kitagawa was 'white' (innocent) regarding the murder, are they ignoring the fact that there was a need to question him after that! In the first place, the separate charge was also at a level that's normally an arrest case!"

A helpless anger burst from his mouth.

Yoshimura replied dismissively,

"Well, the police being bad is something that's easy for the press to handle."

"Honestly, I had thought that maybe this kind of report would come out someday, but the feeling of being 'gotten' is strong now that it's actually out."

The Section Chief received the newspaper as if snatching it from Nishida and lightly slapped it onto his desk.

"This will cause a huge stir in Kitami, won't it?"

At Oba's word,

"It's not just a huge stir. On top of being in a mess with the serial murder investigation, they'll have to deal with this too. Including the Main Office, won't it be a while before things settle down?"

While saying that, the Section Chief was restlessly rotating his chair left and right, unable to hide his agitation.

"The serial rape-murders haven't been resolved, and with this, the pressure from the media and citizens might become even stronger."

Nishida was concerned about the impact on the investigation after this.

"However, it was a help for us. If he had fallen unconscious at the Engaru Station instead of the Kitami Station at that time, we would have been the ones in the line of fire too. Though the investigation headquarters is technically at the Engaru Station..."

What Oba said was true. While it was the same that the Kitami Regional Headquarters was leading the investigation, the difference between Kitagawa falling unconscious in an interrogation room at the Kitami Station or the Engaru Station was a quite large difference for at least the Engaru Station. If it had happened at the Engaru Station where the investigation headquarters is, Station Chief Makita would have had to be present if they held an explanatory press conference. It's certain the media would have swarmed here too.

"Also, it's a blessing in disguise that the separate-charge arrest itself was for a drunk driving personal injury accident. Normally, if it were a case where they wouldn't arrest, the problem would have become even bigger."

It was a fact that couldn't be denied, as Kurosu added.

"But was this Lawyer Matsuda's doing?"

Kurosu voiced a doubt about the source of the article.

"Kitagawa fell unconscious on August 1st, and today is August 11th. I guess Matsuda tipped off the Doho for the purpose of an accusation, and the Doho verified it and put it out today."

The Section Chief stated his own thought in agreement with Kurosu.

"But does that take ten days? We were the parties involved so we were insensitive, but if you think about it, I feel like it's an article with quite a bit of news value."

Komura's point was also indeed logical. Matters like false accusations and this kind of story are worth jumping on for the media. Even if the investigators at the investigation headquarters were tight-lipped, a reporter with a certain amount of "connections" should have had a way to confirm with investigators at the Kitami Regional Headquarters outside the investigation headquarters. Even if the investigators were tight-lipped, it was quite impossible to completely prevent information from leaking to the outside, as per the detectives' experience. He didn't think it would take that much time to verify the information.

"Matsuda must have had various things to do and couldn't tip off the Doho immediately. Anyway, we just have to do what we should do."

The Section Chief, though irritated, concluded that way and spurred the investigators on. Each returned to their desk, but the fact remained that a restless air remained filled in the Detective Division.

Before 9:00 AM,

"Sorry I'm late."

Kitamura, who commutes from Kitami, came rushing in out of breath.

"Did you see the Doho?"

The Section Chief called out.

"Yes. Of course. I was curious so I stopped by the Regional Headquarters too, but rather than being bloodthirsty, everyone's pretty much just fed up. The Headquarters Chief, the First Investigative Division Section Chief, and the Criminal Investigation Director all had faces like they'd chewed on a bitter bug. Only the Manager was nonchalant, though."

"They have things to do like press conferences from now on. That's how it is. They must have been scolded by the Main Office too."

Sawai seemed to be sympathizing from the bottom of his heart.

"No, they were actually angry at the Main Office, though. Saying it's because they sent someone like Michishita. Anyway, things won't settle down for a while..."

"What's happening with the serial murders?"

"No clues. The decomposed one is still unidentified."

Kitamura's tone as he answered Nishida was heavy.

"A tiger at the front gate, a wolf at the back gate. If both aren't handled properly, they'll be easy targets for the media."

The Section Chief said seriously.

"I'm jealous of the Engaru Station, honestly. This time the timing of avoiding it was too good."

Kitamura likely didn't mean any ill will, but the Engaru team who heard that remark felt even more complicated as they couldn't directly deny it.

At that moment, as if to cut through the heavy air, the phone suddenly rang. When Oba took the call,

"Team Leader, Tanaka—I think it's likely Tanaka Kiyoshi—called for the Team Leader, so they've connected it here..."

He told Nishida.

"Tanaka Kiyoshi?"

For a moment, he was bewildered that a call had come from Tanaka, but Nishida immediately realized, "Did he see the article about Kitagawa?" Honestly, if he could have avoided taking the receiver from Oba, he would have, but he couldn't do that.